A Step Forward In Time
by Jasmine 282
Summary: Sydney’s taunted with the future she’s always dreamt about.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** A Step Forward In Time  
**Author:** Jasmine  
**Timeline:** After North Korea...before the whole Lauren mess.   
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Summary:** Sydney's taunted with the future she's always dreamt about.   
  
**Author's Note:** Well I'm finally posting a WIP because for once I think I can finish it without making you wait too long. (I hope!) My muse hit me pretty hard, and I think I made a personal record, writing four chapters, 28 pages, in four days. Posting will depend on RL, especially my beta's. Next Saturday I graduate, then I'll be in NYC for a few days and finally I get to drive cross-country back home. (Pennsylvania to Texas, oh joy!) I hope to keep writing at a decent pace once I get home for the summer too. I'll be able to bring my computer back for once, and then have the privacy of my room to write.   
  
Thanks to my beta, Angela! She's graduating too, so RL has been a bit hectic. Also a big thank you to my best friend, Michele and Chatnoir for reading this and inflating my ego just a bit, pushing me to write more.   
  
Feedback is greatly appreciated! (Quotes even more!) This is my first fluff fic. Angst is my specialty, but it wore me down. Please be kind!   
  
**Chapter 1**  
  
Walking with her head held high, Sydney stepped into the conference room, nodding at Dixon who sat waiting at the front. She took a seat next to Weiss and across from her father. Vaughn was the remaining person in the room, sitting a few seats down from Jack, away from everyone. Her father gave her a small smile which she returned, hoping that maybe this was a sign of good news. Weiss gave his trademark goofy grin as she sat down, and Vaughn kept his eyes focused on the room in front of him, never acknowledging her. This was a now familiar trait that she was slowly becoming used to, ever since their kiss in North Korea. They had yet to speak about it, and she doubted they ever would. Lauren was noticeably absent from the meeting, and Sydney honestly was happy for that. Things had been colder between them, if that was possible, making Sydney wonder if Vaughn had confessed to her.   
  
At the front of the room, Dixon cleared his throat steering Sydney away from her thoughts and towards the matter at hand.   
  
"Sydney, glad that you could join us. We have a new mission for you and Vaughn, and I think this time you won't be getting any bruises," he started, giving her a small smile, and Sydney could almost see a twinkle in his eyes. Raising his hand, he clicked a small device and a picture appeared on the overhead screen.   
  
"This is David Sullivan." The man pictured was of middle age, around forty she guessed, with dark hair, gray eyes, and wire frame glasses. He was average looking, nothing too distinctive that probably helped him blend in with the people around him. It seemed to be a trait everyone desired in the spy world.   
  
"In the late eighties, early nineties, Sullivan was a mathematical genius and computer expert. He designed encryption codes and software. The CIA, government and other foreign governments employed him until an organization, much like the Covenant, approached him. Fearing for his safety and that of his wife, he agreed to work for them," Dixon explained.   
  
Sydney glanced over from the picture to Dixon. "You're saying he willing worked for terrorists?"   
  
Dixon shook his head. "While he did work for them and other organizations afterwards, he always put something similar to a keyhole in the programs, giving the keys to the CIA."   
  
"So the CIA had full access to everything that he did for those organizations?" Sydney queried, bringing her hand to her forehead, rubbing it slightly.   
  
Again Dixon nodded and continued. "It was in 1995 that he decided he had to get out, fearing now for the safety of his unborn child."   
  
"Somehow, I don't see them making a deal for him to quietly leave," she remarked.   
  
"They wouldn't, and Sullivan knew that. However he wasn't ready to enter hiding. So the CIA had a hacker claim he'd broken Sullivan's code."   
  
"So he became useless."   
  
"Exactly. Sullivan and his wife disappeared back into normal society, settling down in Arizona. Until recently, no one had heard from him nor approached him with any work. He contacted us with news that someone has asked for his work, and still unwilling to risk his family's safety, he has agreed. So, you two are to visit him and gather any intel on who is he working for and what the project is," Dixon replied, nodding at both her and Vaughn.   
  
"Why can't he send us the intel or come in?" she asked, wondering why a trip out there was necessary.   
  
"Because it's not safe to send it and he does not want to arouse any suspicions that he is working, nor that he has contacted us. Above all else, he refuses to disrupt his family life and business." He paused, and looked straight at her with a small smile. "I think you'll enjoy this mission, Sydney, it's a week long for appearances at the spa he owns."   
  
"Spa?"   
  
"Yes, it's a spa for expecting couples. Apparently he got the idea when he and his wife went to a spa while she was pregnant with their second child. It's something I wish had been around with Diane." Dixon had a nostalgic smile on his face, though his focus was on Syd as her eyes widened at the realization.   
  
Sydney opened her mouth, and then closed it without saying anything. She stared at Dixon, as if to ask if he were kidding or telling the truth. Was he really saying what she thought he'd said?   
  
"You're saying I have to go in there acting pregnant?" she finally asked, the words sounding foreign to her ears.   
  
"The spa is targeted to women around their seventh month of pregnancy and their spouses. It allows the women to relax, be pampered and relieve some of their stress that comes with their pregnancy. For the men, it gives them some time off as well, which I find a brilliant idea, don't you Jack?" he turned to Jack and smiled, remembering with pains what he endured during Diane's pregnancies consisting of moaning, groaning, cravings, and endless foot and back rubs.   
  
Jack merely nodded, not even a smile escaping his stoic expression.   
  
Turning back to Sydney, Dixon explained further, "The couple is allowed the luxury of every regular spa convenience and more whether they're together or apart, giving them time to enjoy each other and to relax before the baby arrives. You and Vaughn will be meeting him mid-week, and the rest of the week, you are to enjoy yourselves. That's an order. I suggest you visit with Agent Bowman to get some tips for your cover. She's expecting you this afternoon, though she requests that you refrain from using the doorbell in hopes that Mitchell will be sleeping. Your flight leaves at ten tomorrow morning, and you'll need to visit with wardrobe for your costume. Any questions?"   
  
Silently Sydney shook her head, still trying to grasp the reality of the mission ahead of her. Dixon started towards the door, so she gathered her things and stood up, wanting to get out and away from Vaughn, not wanting to talk with him about the mission just yet.  
  
Weiss quickly followed out and called out to her, forcing her to stop and turn to face him. It was obvious she was trying to keep her emotions in check, but soon she would crack. "Hey, you okay?" he asked gently.   
  
She nodded, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Just fine."   
  
"Hey, you can be honest with me. This has to be hurting you, heck, I would be hurt too if I was in your situation." He gave her a weak smile.   
  
Sighing, she replied in a quiet voice, "It's bad enough I have to watch them together in the office, but this? It's like being taunted with a present, saying you can look, but not touch. How am I supposed to go on this mission, act married AND pregnant with Vaughn? It's cruel. Dixon knows this, and I can't believe he would make me do this. Two years ago, I would have leapt at this, seeing my future, but now..."  
  
Without a word, he touched her arm and led her away from the middle of the JTF, and back towards an empty room. After closing the door, he turned to face her and commented, "If it's any consolation, I would trade places with you if I could." Syd laughed. "But hey, you have the right to act like a cranky pregnant woman and make Vaughn's life miserable for the week. Maybe it'll convince him not to procreate with Lauren." He gave her a cheeky grin.   
  
"Eric!" she exclaimed, shocked he would say such a thing.   
  
He just shrugged, and grinned even bigger. "Can you honestly imagine what the gene pool would do to that kid?"   
  
"Well it would have at least one good parent," she reasoned.   
  
"Nah, I think Lauren's side would overpower his. Now, you two would have a great kid. There's no doubt about that. Probably so beautiful, it'd be sickening. And smart. Though hopefully we could ignore the two generations of spies on each side."   
  
"Yeah, that would be nice," she agreed.   
  
"So, boy or girl?"   
  
Sydney pondered for a second, then answered, "Girl."   
  
Weiss nodded. "With brown eyes and dimples, but no cleft chin."   
  
Shaking her head, she corrected him with a far off look in her eyes. "Green eyes. I always wanted green eyes. Dimples yes, but I'm actually fond of the chin. Though not for a girl."   
  
Eric looked at her sadly, knowing he had gone too far. He had a sneaky suspicion that she'd had her kids all mapped out a couple years ago, and now it was only a dream.   
  
"Sydney Jr.?" he suggested, turning the conversation around a bit, trying for something lighter.   
  
She slapped him, laughing. "No!" Taking a moment to stop and breathe, she honestly gave him a small smile. "How about Michele?"   
  
This time, he shook his head. "You're giving him too much credit. How about..." he thought for a moment, then his eyes brightened as he obviously come up with the perfect name in his mind. "Erica!"   
  
Laughing once again, but quieter this time, she nodded. "Sure, how about Erica Francie?"   
  
"Sounds good."   
  
They were silent for a couple minutes before Sydney spoke up. "I should go see Carrie. Get prepared for tomorrow. This isn't exactly something I'm used to portraying."   
  
"Don't forget to pick up the belly."   
  
Sydney stuck her tongue out at him. "Did you have to remind me?"   
  
Sporting a grin and pulling out the yo-yo from his pocket, he replied, "Hey, I'd pay good money to see you wearing it. I think I might just have to forgo my one day to sleep in on Sundays just to see you in it."   
  
"Gee, thanks."   
  
"Anytime!"   
  


*****

  
After stopping by wardrobe to pick up the dreaded 'costume,' she had driven over to the house Carrie shared with Marshall. In her backseat lay the belly, an awful, heavy contraption that made her shudder. Rob, the head of wardrobe, had given it to her saying it was a base model for what she'd get the next day. It was an old standard, full-body belly with straps. Since she had to be seen in a bathing suit, he had promised her that they would make her a strapless one, and she could only hope it would be lighter. He'd also told her that they didn't normally keep maternity clothes on hand, so she would have to go shopping.   
  
She was oh so thrilled.   
  
Of course, when she told Carrie that she had to go shopping, Carrie demanded to go with her, promising to help her find the most comfortable clothes possible. It was unfortunate that Carrie was smaller than her, or else she would have just borrowed her clothes. But in a small way, she was happy she got to pick her clothes for the first time. Too many times she'd been given small, slutty clothes that were simply degrading.   
  
They'd managed to convince the store clerk that she had a role in a small independent movie so she wouldn't question why they were buying so many clothes and of such a variety. Both Carrie and the clerk had more fun than she did, dressing her up in everything from Capri pants to cute skirts and dresses.   
  
The first time she put on the belly, she almost cried. Her heart was battling her mind as she saw herself in the mirror, appearing pregnant, and realized that it might never happen to her in real life. Of course the weight of the belly quickly stopped her from having such thoughts as it pulled her body forward and made her shoulders slump with the sudden dead weight on her front. This was not going to be comfortable. She was already wishing for the end of the week to come.   
  
The bathing suit had been the hardest to try on, the spandex clinging to her as she tried to pull it over the belly. In the end, she'd come out with a week's worth of clothing all billed to the CIA. That was the rewarding part. After that trip, they went shopping for low heeled, more comfortable shoes. Although she wouldn't have swollen feet like a typical pregnant woman, she had to act the part and wear reasonable shoes. She had no complaints there. Though it had been scary to look down and not even see her feet. Carrie had just laughed.   
  
Overall it had been a nice afternoon, her and Carrie spending the day shopping, and talking about Mitchell, her pregnancy and life in general. Carrie had expressed the same notion, having been happy to get out of the house. Mitchell had come along, but thankfully slept for most of the day. Sydney had to force herself not to get down about the situation and her life seeing Carrie with Mitchell, obviously happy in her life. Yet by the end of the day, when she got home to her small quiet apartment, it was hard not to cry and wish for time to rewind.   
  



	2. Chapter 2

A/N: This chapter is my favorite...almost. Chapter 4 might be my favorite...but anyway, the idea for this chapter is what initially spurred me to write this fic. I can't wait to see your reactions! So far, Chatnoir has given me the best reaction, and she read one and two together.  
  
Please, PLEASE review! I'm anxious to see how well you like this next plotline. Thanks!   
  
**Chapter 2**  
  
Sydney got up at four a.m. the next morning, having received a message on her answering machine the day before to report to medical services at five-thirty. She had no idea what they would need her there for that early, but she had put it out of her mind the night before as she did a bit of research on the spa and other concerns she had for the mission.   
  
Walking through the quiet, deserted office, she dreaded the moment she would have to confront Vaughn about the mission. She wondered how he felt about it, and if he ever planned on talking about North Korea with her. But she couldn't press him, nor could she truly blame him for going back to his wife when they got home. This week, however, was going to be interesting.   
  
There were several people milling around Medical Services, quite the opposite from the main rotunda. It seemed they were the only poor souls required to be there on a Sunday morning. One of the doctors approached her and greeted her warmly.   
  
"Agent Bristow, I'm glad you're here. I only have one small matter to discuss with you, then I have to hand you over to the techs," he said.   
  
Sydney glanced at the other people and wondered exactly what they had planned for her. She didn't really understand why she was needed there, unless they had an insane idea to physically blow her up to make her look pregnant. Which sounded completely ridiculous and she quickly tossed it out of her mind and focused on the doctor before her.   
  
"If I may ask, when is your period due?"   
  
Having accustomed to the lack of privacy in her life, she simply answered, "The end of this week, why?"   
  
He sighed, and nodded. "Well we can't have housekeeping find anything, nor have birth control pills laying around. I need to give you a thirty day shot of birth control to force you to skip your next period."   
  
As he waved his hand towards the medical table, she walked over and sat on the starched paper while he came over with a needle. It was over quickly, and Sydney had to admit she liked it better than having to remember every day to pop the pill, especially on all her missions.   
  
The doctor left, and Rob walked over to her with a warm smile. Knowing he'd probably been there much earlier than she had, she had to wonder how he was running on such little sleep and still smiling.   
  
"Agent Bristow, I'm glad you got the message. We're going to need some extra time preparing you."   
  
Sydney eyed him wearily. "I don't understand."   
  
He nodded, and replied, "I'll explain in a few minutes, but right now we need you to undress. You can leave your bra on." It was then she noticed he was holding some bed sheets. With one hand he ripped off the starch paper on the medical paper and threw it on the floor. He opened up the bed sheet and covered the table. Holding out another set of sheets, he instructed her, "You can drape this over your bottom half. We'll be back in a few minutes."   
  
The room cleared out leaving Sydney standing there puzzled. After a moment, she stepped out of her trance, laying the bed sheet on the table. She undressed down to her bra and underwear and folded her clothes up, placing them on a nearby counter. Lying down on the table, she shivered and quickly covered up with the linen. A minute later she heard a knock and Rob called out to her. She yelled that she was done, and the group walked back in.   
  
One of the techs, Sue, she thought she recalled, came over to her and started wiping down her stomach. She pulled the bed sheet lower, and tugged her underwear down as well. It was a shock to Sydney that they planned on going so low, but since she really had no clue what they were doing, she just waited in silence for some explanation.   
  
Another tech, Joe, if her memory served her right, sat down on a stool next to her and started marking on her stomach, making slight marks every so often as he seemed to measure her stomach with a ruler. This puzzled her even more, and suddenly she knew the whole belly situation was not going to be simple.   
  
Rob finally walked over to her with a grin. "Alright, time to explain. We realized that you needed a belly that you could wear with a bathing suit, and at the same time wear during a massage. Obviously that meant no straps, but it also meant we needed it realistic, making it a whole new ballgame. Let me get it so you can understand."   
  
He walked over, pulled on some gloves, and lifted a flesh colored mound from a box on the counter. Bringing it over, it jiggled slightly, making her think of Jell-O. But it was much sturdier, she could recognize.   
  
"We covered it with a synthetic skin, that I'm pleased feels very real. Go ahead and touch," he said with a smile.   
  
Sydney hesitantly held out a hand, and touched the mound she knew would be her belly. It was soft and smooth, and aside from the fact that he was holding it out before her like a prize and she knew it was fake, it was hard to tell the difference. But it was also very creepy.   
  
"Now, just in case, we had Marshall create a device so that if a doctor would try to listen or look, we have a heartbeat playing. We also have a full sonogram recorded and will transmit if an ultrasound is done."   
  
If it weren't for the absurdity of the situation, she would have laughed at Marshall's genius. Still, she had no idea how they intended to place the belly _on_ her.   
  
So she dared to ask. "How exactly is that going on me?"   
  
Rob's eyes lit up and he laughed. "Oh! Sorry about that. We'll be gluing this on you." He nodded to where Joe had made marks resembling a coordinate grid on her stomach.  
  
Sydney's eyes widened in shock as the news sunk in. "Excuse me? You're kidding right? I mean, that's awfully extreme. Is it safe?"   
  
"Oh very safe. This is part movie magic. The glue will hold the belly on with no problems and will not hurt your skin at all. But you have to realize - we had no other choice. You need to appear convincingly pregnant at all times, in all aspects."   
  
Sighing, she closed her eyes giving in to her fate, and when she opened them she saw Sue standing beside her, stirring something in a bowl. It was real. She was having a prosthetic belly glued to her. Oh, what she did for the good of her country.   
  
Rob had walked away, and Sue stepped up to her, taking the stool Joe had vacated. She started to brush on the glue in small strokes. The glue was a shock to her skin, cold, yet not too sticky. Sydney lowered her head down to the table, knowing she'd have a sore neck if she watched the entire process. Sue calmly worked on her, and after a few minutes, she felt some of the glue slide down her belly button. Pausing, Sue left Sydney and came back with a paper towel to clean it out. As she finished, having gone down as low as her panty line, Rob walked up holding the belly. The flat side was up, gleaming under the light, a smooth surface of glue on it as well.   
  
Having put down the bowl, Sue came around to her other side opposite of Rob. Glancing down at her, Rob explained some more, "The glue is composed of two compounds to make sure it bonds well and strong. It'll need a good thirty minutes to fully bond together and dry."   
  
Sue helped Rob lower the belly down, placing it precisely along the marks on her stomach.  
  
Although she knew it was coming, the sudden extra weight shocked Sydney. Her muscles tightened reflexively, compensating for the bowling ball weighing down her stomach.   
  
"How much does this thing weigh?!" she exclaimed. Her hopes of having a light addition were dashed as the realization that this wasn't going to be coming off for a week started to sink in.   
  
As Rob and Sue methodically started pressing down all over the stomach to make sure it was properly secured, he calmly responded, "Thirty pounds."   
  
"Thirty pounds? Is there a reason why you want to torture me?"   
  
Rob only laughed. "For a woman of your height and weight, you would be expected to gain from twenty-eight to forty pounds. Most women gain more with their first pregnancy. My wife gained sixty pounds with our first child. You need to blend in. We want you to be as realistic as possible, so having you feel the extra weight will help you act more pregnant. It won't look good if you're walking around without an extra care in the world, and probably with more spring to your step than every other woman at the spa."   
  
Wordlessly, Sydney nodded and closed her eyes. She felt Sue wipe off some glue around the belly, and then without warning, more weight pushed down on her. Snapping her eyes open, she saw that Rob had placed a small table of sorts over her belly, lightly touching the top. Two heavy books sat on the table, weighing down her belly. It felt like someone was sitting on her.   
  
For the next thirty minutes, she let herself think about the week ahead of her. How exactly was she going to act pregnant? How would Vaughn react to the sight of her? Though she knew she would have the opportunity to spend most of the week by herself doing the various spa activities, she knew she had to spend some time with him. And seeing that they were supposed to be a happily married couple, excited over their impending birth, their recent cold and quiet relations wouldn't cut it. Somehow, they had to get along.   
  
Aside from the extra weight, she was looking forward to relaxing for a week. It had been too long since she had a proper vacation. Her mind immediately thought back to the last time she had made plans, and she quickly shoved those memories away. She could not let herself fall into a depression now. Things were different and she had to get used to it.  
  
After the 'drying' time was up, Rob returned and took away the books and table. Sydney stretched her arms out and propped herself up. She looked down at her new stomach, and it was a surreal feeling seeing her stomach now bulging. There was even a belly button on it.   
  
Glancing up at Rob who had put everything on a nearby counter and returned to her side, she asked, "So I'm done?"   
  
"I'm afraid not. This is only step one."   
  
"Step one?" she echoed. He nodded.   
  
"While this prosthetic gives you the overall shape of a pregnant belly, it doesn't have the right curve to your body."   
  
Looking down at her stomach once again, Sydney noticed with disdain, that he was right. It looked very awkward how the sides of the belly joined up with the frame of her torso. She sighed, knowing there was more coming.   
  
At that moment, Joe and Sue walked over, carrying a bowl of glue and a Tupperware box filled with what she could only imagine to be more prosthetics. Rob pulled one out and showed it too her.   
  
"See this? These small sections will help mold the belly to your body. So, if you could lie back down, we need to get this started. We don't have too much time before your flight."   
  
Suddenly the three hours made sense, and she laid back down thinking she should just fall asleep and wake up when it was all done. But sleep wouldn't come to her, so she waited as Rob and Sue worked on her, gluing one section at a time around her belly, carefully molding one piece onto the next, smoothing them out. After every section, they would wait a few minutes as they pressed it down, making sure it glued to her skin and stayed in place. They had informed her that she would have to wait another thirty minutes after all was in place to let everything dry again.   
  
During the second wait, she was left alone again, and she forced herself to think of all the pampering she would have at the spa. It was best to think of the more pleasant aspects of the mission rather than the obvious negatives. A massage was already on the top of her to-do list, and she was glad she packed several books to read while she relaxed poolside.  
  
Before the thirty minutes were up, Sue came back in and started mixing something on the other side of the room. It was then that Sydney's hopes that her belly was finished came to a halt. Sue walked over and lifting the spatula from the bowl, she compared the coloring of the mixture to the color of Sydney's skin and belly.   
  
Makeup. Sydney understood that much. As good as the prosthetic pieces were, there were still lines all around her belly making it quite obvious that something wasn't right. And they weren't typical marks from the skin stretching itself to hold a bowling ball. After a few color alterations, Sue finally sat down and looked at Sydney, smiling.   
  
"Now although this makeup is waterproof so it doesn't wear off in the pool, it will wear off in the shower with soap. You'll have to reapply it daily. Some areas need it really thick, and others not so much," she explained, brushing some on at the top of her belly right below Sydney's eye level.   
  
As she slowly moved down the side of her belly, Sydney realized she couldn't see what Sue was doing. Which meant she wouldn't be able to put it on herself. That meant someone else had to do it.   
  
Vaughn.   
  
Mentally, she groaned. This was not good. Any other time she would have no problem with Vaughn touching her in that way. Specifically two years ago she would have gladly let him touch her. Now, things were complicated.   
  
It was when Sue had finished one side, and gone down so low at the bottom of the belly, that she knew that there was no way she would let Vaughn touch her there. She decided she would find a way to do it herself. Blindly even. People weren't going to look that close.   
  
As Sue moved around to her other side, someone knocked on the door, and she heard Weiss call out, "Hey, is Agent Bristow in here? I was told she came in early."   
  
Smiling, happy to hear a familiar voice, she replied loud enough for him to hear, "Hey Weiss! Come on in. We're almost finished."   
  
Weiss walked in and stopped abruptly when he saw her. His mouth dropped and he quickly turned around.   
  
Laughing, she ordered him to turn back around. "It's okay Weiss. You can turn around. It's fake."   
  
His eyes still wide, he looked at her in disbelief. "I thought it would be priceless to see you in padding, but this is crazy. What did they do to you?"   
  
"It's a prosthetic belly, Weiss. Strapless so I can wear a bathing suit. It's glued on," she calmly explained as if it were an ordinary occurrence.   
  
"You have to glue that on every day?" he asked, still in shock.   
  
Sydney shook her head violently. "Oh no...this is taking over two hours to do. It stays on all week."   
  
"When I said I would trade places with you, I take it back."   
  
"What? You don't want to carry around an extra thirty pounds?" Sydney joked, enjoying the lightness of the conversation. Weiss always brightened her mood.   
  
"I carry enough weight, thank you very much."   
  
Grinning, she just shook her head. Then she glanced down to see how close Sue was to being done. She had only a few more inches left. Realizing that her maternity clothes were packed, and in her car, she looked up at Weiss and asked, "Can you grab my suitcase from my car? I forgot to bring clothes with me."   
  
"That sounded wrong, Bristow. But sure, where are your keys?" He walked over to where she pointed to her purse on the counter. Waving, he left the room.   
  
When he returned with her suitcase, Sue was blow-drying her stomach, having explained that since the makeup was thick in areas, it needed some help to dry. With a click of the off button, Sue uttered the words Sydney had been waiting to hear all morning, "You're done."   
  
But before leaving her to dress, Sue warned her, "Don't worry about damaging it. It's pretty sturdy. It's solid yet soft enough that you can press into it with your fingers like a natural stomach, but it won't dent if you press something hard into it. And while the weight might make it feel like it's going to fall off, it won't. This glue will hold it with no problems. Any questions?"   
  
Sydney shook her head and smiled her thanks. While this wasn't the most pleasant mission costume, she knew she couldn't give Sue a hard time about it. She wasn't the one making her do this.   
  
Sue left the room, leaving Weiss standing there grinning at her. Apparently now that the shock had passed, he found it humorous.   
  
"I wonder if it floats?"   
  
Sydney let out a bark of laughter, feeling her whole body and the belly shake. Putting a hand on it, to calm it down, she had to admit it was a weird sensation to see and feel this stomach on her, but only to her touch. She ran her hand over the belly, amazed that in a few hours she'd gone from flat to seven months pregnant without any of the normal troubles. Of course most women got something out of their pregnancies, unlike her. In a week, she'd be back to Agent Bristow, single, and running around the world in slinky material, high heels and wigs.   
  
Swinging her legs off the table, she moved to sit herself up. The sheet fell on the floor, and Sydney was grateful that Sue had tugged her underwear back up after finishing the makeup because Eric would have gotten an eyeful that would have undoubtedly made him uncomfortable. They were close friends now, but there was a line to draw. It was a small struggle to sit up, but she'd accomplished harder things. The weight of the belly against her thighs was again a weird feeling and was going to take some time getting used to.   
  
Weiss handed her the sheet and waved his hand towards the door. "I'll let you dress."  
  
"Wait!" she called out, having eyed the suitcase on the floor. He stopped in his tracks and turned back around.   
  
"Can you move the suitcase up on the table? I don't think bending is going to be easy."  
  
Flashing her a grin, he did as she asked and left the room. She carefully hopped off the table, and turned to face the suitcase. Opening it, she picked out some light khaki pants and a short sleeved white, button up blouse. She definitely wanted something light and comfortable to wear on the plane.   
  
Glancing at the clock, she realized that she had to leave soon. So, quickly she put on the blouse, buttoning it up over the belly, though it didn't quite cover it as much as it had in the store. Apparently this belly protruded out farther than the padded one. It was a good thing then that the belly looked realistic if some of the other clothes didn't cover her as well.   
  
Not wanting to risk falling over, she sat back up on the table to pull on her pants. Her balance would have to be worked on as well. The extra weight pulled the center of her body forward, and she realized that her back was going to be very sore soon. Grabbing a pair of sandals from the suitcase, she tossed them on the floor and stepped down from the table, sliding them on. Again, she couldn't see her feet, but as long as she wore sandals instead of tennis shoes, she would be fine.   
  
Grabbing a clip, she pulled her hair up, off her neck. Carrie had commented that it was a small, but fruitful step to cooling off while pregnant.   
  
Weiss knocked on the door again, and asked if she was decent. Giving him the all clear, he walked back in and looked at her appraisingly. "You don't look too bad, Sydney."  
  
"Ha!" Sydney replied, laughing. "I'm fat."   
  
"But at least you get to dump it in a week. Be thankful for that."   
  
"Oh, I am," she answered as she walked over to the counter where her purse and the clothes she came in with lay. Just like Sue had claimed, the stomach did feel like it was about to fall off, but she knew she would grow accustomed to it; it was only a matter of time.   
  
Storing the clothes in the suitcase and zipping it up, she turned to give Weiss a small grin. He shook his head, and wordlessly lifted it off the table, lowering it to the floor. "You're going to get spoiled this week."   
  
"That's the whole reason why spas exist - to pamper and spoil. But remember, you gave up your chance at taking my place. So don't be jealous," she teased him.   
  
Weiss' face turned serious as he glanced at his watch, then back at her. "Vaughn arrived while you were dressing. It's time for you to go. You don't want to miss your flight."  
  
Nodding, she gave him a weak smile as she remembered that she had to face Vaughn still.   
  
"Enjoy yourself. Don't think about him, okay?" he softly advised her.   
  
"I will, thanks." She walked over to him and gave him a hug. It was a bit awkward, but she didn't care. He'd been her friend to talk to and cry on his shoulder since she'd come back, and she wouldn't trade him for anything.   
  
Taking a deep breath, she slung her purse over her shoulder and walked out with Weiss following her, rolling the suitcase behind him. Vaughn was leaning against his desk, waiting for them when they reached the rotunda. He stood up and greeted her in a brisk tone, "Hey."   
  
"Hey," she replied in the same tone. They stared at each other for a moment, and she saw his eyes wander over her body, pausing at the belly.   
  
"You look good."   
  
"I'm wearing an extra thirty pounds. There's no way I look good, so don't even try," she responded in a clear, but deadly tone. She was not going to let him sweep her off her feet again, only to send her crashing back to the ground.   
  
He nodded, the message clear. Glancing over to Weiss, Vaughn noticed a similar stance that suggested that he was on Sydney's side.   
  
Sydney gave Weiss one last smile, before brushing past Vaughn and walked to the elevator. Vaughn followed silently, taking the suitcase from Weiss. Their silence continued during the ride down to the parking garage. When they reached his car, he popped the trunk and put the suitcase inside. Sydney stood to the side, waiting for him to unlock the car.   
  
After he pushed the keyless remote, he tried to open the door for her, but she just pushed him aside. "I can open my own door, Vaughn."   
  
"Right, sorry." With a sigh, he walked around the car, and got in. He watched as she tugged the seatbelt over her new stomach, and had to stop himself from helping her.  
  
The drive to the airport was silent, with Sydney occasionally shifting the seatbelt up or down on her belly, trying to find a more comfortable position. Finally she gave up, realizing that she couldn't win and the entire week was going to be one uncomfortable situation after the next.   
  
TBC   
  
***  
  
A/N: So, yes...thirty pounds may be a bit extreme...but it just makes it more fun! Though I did research how much to gain, and the 28-40 range is for underweight women...and I think Syd's run herself ragged this season...but really, I did it on purpose. And the 60 pound story? My teacher! LOL! So, let the fun begin!  



	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** You guys are lucky today. I'm in an EXTREMLY good mood because my GRE scores finally came in today. My muse went haywire after getting the verbal/math scores the day I took the test, and wrote the first 10 pages of the fic...so now that I have my writing score as well...(5.5 on a 6.0 scale by the way...I've perfected the fine art of BS.) You get fic! Just think what you'll get if I'm accepted to GWU.  
  
Of course, I'm only able to update because my beta has gone through chapter 6 and I feel I can update even though I have no time to write at the moment. So thanks Angela!!  
  
**Dedication:** To my best friend, who not only helped with the Arizona research in this chapter, but who rented both seasons of Alias a month ago and watched all 44 eps in under three weeks because I got her hooked! She now watches more closely than I do! The student has surpassed the teacher! Of course, I'm still waiting on her to join the boards...and write fic. I foresee some this summer.   
  
**Chapter 3**  
  
After checking in their luggage at the airport, Sydney and Vaughn sat waiting in the terminal for their flight. It first went to Las Vegas then connected to Phoenix. Apparently no flights went directly from LA to Phoenix and they weren't allowed to take the company jet in case Weiss and Jack had to go somewhere. So they were flying for over two hours, then they had to drive two hours from Phoenix, to Sedona where the spa was located.   
  
Unconsciously, she found her right hand holding her belly protectively while they sat and waited. It was only when Vaughn's left hand came to rest on hers did she even notice. She had glanced up with a shocked look on her face ready to tell Vaughn to take his hand off of her, but realized it was part of their act. An act she had to get used to. He smiled at her briefly before turning his attention away, looking out the windows. Their hands remained on her stomach until their flight was called. As they made their way towards the door, his hand rested on the small of her back and she had to push down all the memories of their time together. Just the small motion felt so right and she wanted to cry at the injustice of it.   
  
After landing in Las Vegas, the charm of the belly, if there had been any, had worn off. The seatbelt on the plane had been thankfully a little more comfortable since it didn't conform to her stomach. But a couple in their sixties, across from them on the plane, had felt they should make conversation and asked all kinds of questions regarding the baby. Vaughn had answered politely, seeing that he was the one on the aisle, that Sydney was due June 20th. Of course, he referred to her as 'Lindsey.' For the duration of the week, they were to be known as Adam and Lindsey Cameron.   
  
Though the questions didn't stop, and when Vaughn had mentioned they were going to a spa, the wife started up a whole long conversation about the safety of the baby if she were to go in a hot tub. And she vehemently told her not go take a mud bath. After awhile, Sydney tuned them out, letting Vaughn handle the insistent couple. She figured she'd hear enough of it at the spa.   
  
Thankfully their layover was short and they did not have to wait long for their flight to Phoenix. While they walked through the airport, Vaughn made a point of holding her hand. His actions puzzled Sydney, knowing that while they were officially supposed to act like a couple, it was not necessary until they reached the spa. Ever since North Korea, he had been as equally cold to her as she had been to him. So the fact that he willingly started the charade early made no sense. But if she were to look at his behavior lately, she realized that she hadn't been able to understand him for awhile anyway.   
  
Their second flight was quiet, with no pestering passengers. Though everyone seemed to smile at her when they passed. It seemed the world was extra nice to a woman when she was pregnant.   
  
The quiet however, ended a half an hour into their drive to Sedona. And it was Vaughn who broke the silence.   
  
"We need to talk about the mission," he said, glancing over at her briefly, then back at the road.   
  
"There's not much to talk about. We meet with the guy, we get the intel, and we're done. As for the rest of the week, I plan on reading by the pool," she replied succinctly. Her focus was on the landscape passing by them as she gazed through the passenger side window.   
  
"We have to act..." he trailed off, not quite knowing how to put it.   
  
"Happy?" she filled in for him. He nodded. "Well I'm sure you know how to do that."  
  
Vaughn slammed his hand on the steering wheel, and took his attention off the road again to look at her. "Damn it Syd! Don't do this! I'm sorry."   
  
Not bothering to answer him because she knew their situation would never change; she changed the subject. "So where was Lauren yesterday? I didn't see her at the meeting."  
  
"She's in DC for some conference. She'll be there all week."   
  
"Does she know about this mission?"   
  
He shook his head. "I told her we just had to go talk to an old informant who was getting scared. I didn't think she'd react well."   
  
"And when we get back?" Sydney asked, knowing full well that Lauren would not be happy to hear of this mission after the fact. Though she suspected that Lauren would have greatly protested the mission to begin with, or at least Sydney's involvement. She wondered if that would have been for the better, perhaps having another agent go with him.   
  
Vaughn didn't answer her, gripping the steering wheel tight. The rest of their drive was spent in silence.   
  


*****

  
They arrived at the Sedona Spa and Resort at three in the afternoon after taking a short lunch break during their drive up. Pulling under the covered entrance, a resort employee stepped up and opened the car door for Sydney. Taking his offered hand, she managed to get out of the car with a little grace. The employee, whose nametag read Steven, opened the door to the resort with a flourish, and Sydney graciously walked inside to the air conditioning. While it was only early April, the temperature was already hitting the seventies, and the extra weight had quickly made her sweat.   
  
Vaughn followed her in, bringing a folder with some papers so they could check in. Steven had retrieved their suitcases and was presently waiting with a luggage cart, ready to bring them to their room. With a few words with the concierge, Vaughn walked over to where Sydney stood waiting with Steven, holding two keys. Handing one over to her, he told Steven they were in room 202.   
  
With a hand at her back again, Vaughn guided Sydney to the elevator with Steven trailing behind them. While waiting for the elevator, Vaughn turned to Sydney and repeated what the concierge had told him. "After we freshen up, we're supposed to come back down for a quick tour and then we'll talk with the spa manager. We need to schedule our week. Dinner is served at six, or we can order up."   
  
Sydney nodded and gave him a small smile, trying to play the part. "That sounds nice. I can't wait to see what they can cook up. I read that the chefs here are incredible."   
  
"They must be if they can satisfy pregnant women," he cracked, earning a slap and a real grin from Sydney.   
  
The elevator chimed and they all piled in. Sydney stared into the mirrored walls, seeing her pregnant reflection standing next to Vaughn, who had his arm draped around her shoulders. It was an ideal picture, and she couldn't help but smile when she realized that she had him for the week, even if just for appearances. She would enjoy this week, or die trying.   
  
Steven led them to their room, opening the door with Vaughn's key, and opened the door, letting her in first. She stepped in the room, which was more like a suite. It was open and airy, windows covering the far wall brightening the room. They were actually standing in a living area with a door on the wall to their right, presumably leading to the bedroom and the rest of the suite.   
  
The living area had a sofa, lounge chairs and a coffee table in the middle, facing an entertainment center with a TV on top. Both the table and entertainment center were chrome and glass, the sunlight bouncing off them. The room was done in light blues in an attempt to cool the guests. The top two thirds of the walls were painted in a very light blue, met by white crown molding and finished with a deeper blue on the bottom of the wall. Dark navy blue plush carpet covered the floor with dark gray marble tile at the entrance.   
  
To their left in the corner, there was a matching glass table and navy padded chairs. Along the wall, in a niche, there was a bar with a sink. On the counter sat a microwave and under it a refrigerator. Midnight snacks came to Sydney's mind.   
  
Taking it all in, it was a very beautiful room, and she turned to see Vaughn's reaction. He'd been watching her the entire time, and they both smiled at each other.   
  
"You like?" he asked.   
  
"I do."   
  
"Good." He smiled again, and taking her hand, pulled her to go see the bedroom. As they walked into the next room, Sydney heard the click of the door signaling Steven's exit and they were now alone.   
  
The bedroom was just as beautiful, with one big window on the far wall lighting the room just enough. It was done in deep pool greens, and the king bed was the main focal point. Though Sydney noticed a padded window seat that she knew she would enjoy as well. Another TV topped a chest of drawers opposite the bed. A small glass table with two chairs sat in the far corner by the window. To their immediate right, there was a closet on the far end of the wall and another door that led to the bathroom.   
  
To Sydney's surprise and delight, the first thing she saw in the bathroom was a garden size bathtub. The week was beginning to look a little better. In the corner behind the tub, there was a shower, and peeking in, she saw it went deep, and was large enough for two people plus a seat. The showerhead had several massage options that she knew would come in handy. Stepping back out, she noticed why the shower had been deeper; its wall was next to a small, enclosed room with just a toilet. The rest of the room was all vanity, forming an 'L' from the wall across from them, starting at the edge of the tile wall for the tub and wrapping back around to the door. The right side had two sinks with plenty of room, and the short section on the opposite wall had a chair that fit underneath the counter, a place for her to sit down to do her hair and makeup. For as small a detail as it was, she knew she would appreciate that chair.   
  
The bathroom was also done in the light blues and pool greens, and had light gray marble tile. A towel rack with white fluffy towels hung on the door next to the shower. On the ceiling there was a fan, already on at a slow pace, circulating the cool air.   
  
"So, ready to see the rest of this place?" Vaughn broke the silence that had taken over again.   
  
Remembering that she wasn't alone, she turned and smiled. "Sure, um, let me just go to the bathroom and we can go."   
  
"Are you thirsty? I know you were getting hot in the car. I'm sure there's some drinks in the fridge," he offered.   
  
Hot in the car was an understatement. She had turned every AC vent towards her. But she just nodded. "Water would be great."   
  
When she came back out, Vaughn was sitting in one of the lounge chairs in the living room. He stood up quickly and handed her bottled water. "Here, I thought you could take this with you. I'm sure we'll be outside at some point of this tour."   
  
Sydney took the water gratefully, twisted the cap and took a long drink. Looking back at him, she smiled when she caught him watching her with a grin on his face. "Thanks."  
  
Hand on her back once again, he led her out of the room, and to the elevator. Patiently they waited, and a few minutes later they were downstairs in the lobby. Sydney moved to sit down on one of the couches, while Vaughn went to inform the concierge they were ready. With that done, he walked across the lobby and sat down next to her to wait for their guide. His left arm came up and gently started rubbing the back of her neck. Hitting a particular sore spot from that morning's strain, she softly moaned in pleasure. "Oh, god, that's great."   
  
Her head leaned back into his hand, and her eyes closed as she let his soothing hand massage all her kinks. When the pressure suddenly stopped, she opened her eyes to see a resort employee standing in front of them.   
  
Vaughn quickly stood up, and offered his hand to help Sydney up. Realizing that this was something she couldn't refuse, not just for the cover, but in reality, she shoved herself up from the couch with his help. They continued holding hands as the lady in front of them introduced herself.   
  
"I'm Becky, and I'll be showing you around the spa. If you have any questions, feel free to stop me and ask. I'll be explaining everything on the way, but all the information is also in the green notebook on the table in your room."   
  
As they walked around, Becky pointed out medical services should the need arise, the massage center, salon, aerobics room, gym, indoor and outdoor pools, hot tubs, and mud baths. There were tennis courts for the men, as well as a golf course, and gardens and walking trails. Also, a steam room for the men, and what they called the 'Mist Room' for the ladies, where a cool mist circulated constantly. Sydney knew she'd be in there a fair amount of time during the week. At each place, she gave the hours they were open and if they needed to book appointments or if they were continuously open. Once they walked back to the lobby, she pointed across to a wide set of double glass doors.   
  
"The dining room is there, and they serve breakfast from six to eleven for early to late risers. Lunch is from noon to three, and afternoon tea is at four. Dinner is open from six to ten. You can also order up to your room at any time." She glanced at her watch then commented, "If we hurry with your schedules, you can just make afternoon tea if you're hungry."   
  
They sat down at a table in the corner of the lobby, and she pulled out some papers from the folder she'd been carrying around.   
  
"Now, we book every couple a massage for their first day. We have you down at 10:30 tomorrow morning, if that's alright with you?" She glanced from Sydney to Vaughn, silently seeking their approval. They nodded.   
  
"Good. Now if there's anything you have in mind now, you should schedule seeing that we have guests arriving daily, and things book up fast. You can also schedule as you please during the week."   
  
Sydney glanced first at Vaughn, then back towards Becky. "All I have in mind right now is a facial on Tuesday. Can they do a pedicure at the same time?"   
  
Becky nodded, smiling. "Of course! That would be no problem. Let me just see what times we can schedule both at." She skimmed through her papers, and tapped her finger at a few spots. We can do it at eleven, two, or four."   
  
"Eleven would be fine."   
  
"Great! Mr. Cameron, anything for you?" she glanced at him, not leaving him out of it. As much as they catered to the women at the spa, they also made sure to help the men as well.   
  
Vaughn waved his hand. "I'm fine for now."   
  
"Alright! We're done then. Enjoy your stay. Feel free to come to me with any problems." She smiled, stood up, shook their hands and left.   
  
The doors to the dining room opened at that moment, and a waiter stood by to greet the guests. A couple that had been sitting in the lobby stood up and walked into the dining room. Vaughn glanced over at Sydney, who smiled and nodded, so they both stood, and walked over to the dining room. They found a buffet table set up on one side of the room, and when they got close, they noticed plates lining the table with small finger sandwiches, fruit, cheese and crackers, and desserts.   
  
Vaughn watched with humor as Sydney picked up a plate and proceeded to pile her plate up with several sandwiches, lots of fruit, particularly grapes and gave a quick glance at the desserts. Although there was little to no room on the plate, he was sure she was going to try to squeeze some desserts in or get another plate, but she did neither. She glanced back at him, and asked, "Are you eating?"   
  
Nodding quickly, he picked up a plate and chose a few sandwiches, including cucumber, something his mother had always raved about. A few apple slices, grapes, and pineapple finished off his plate. When he was done, a waiter immediately came to their side, took Sydney's plate and led them to a table. After placing her plate down, the waiter pulled out a chair for her, and placed a napkin on her lap. They ordered their drinks, iced tea for both of them, and the waiter disappeared.   
  
Briefly scanning the room watching all the waiters attend to the many couples now present, she grinned at Vaughn commenting, "I could get used to this."   
  
His eyes fixed on her smile, Vaughn replied, "So could I."   
  
Sydney blushed under his gaze, unsure if his comment was directed toward her or not, but knew she couldn't let it affect her, one way or another.   
  
They ate silently, and after she finished, she answered Vaughn's earlier musings by standing up and returning to the buffet, piling up desserts on a new plate. She came back with more than she could eat, or so he thought. There were several fruit tarts with raspberries, peaches, kiwis, and strawberries on her new plate. A few cookies, a slice of cheesecake and a mystery dessert filled up the rest.   
  
She took small bites from everything, occasionally offering him a taste, but he just shook his head, passing, as he watched her with delight. It'd been so long since they'd been in each other's company in such a casual setting. Finally, she sat back with a sigh, laid her hand on her stomach, and smiled at him.   
  
"So, dinner's in an hour and a half, right?" He nodded. "I don't think I can eat for awhile. We may have to postpone it."   
  
He chuckled. "We can eat whenever. How about we go unpack now?"   
  
She groaned, not wanting to move, but when he stood and offered his hands, she grudgingly accepted, heaving herself up. They found themselves standing eye to eye, though a few inches apart, due to her belly. Sydney swallowed, closed her eyes, and then opened them a moment later to see Vaughn's eyes burning into hers. Carefully she stepped back and turned to leave the dining room before he could say anything.   
  
TBC  
  
***  
  
Psst! If you're really good with the reviews (quotes help!), you'll get another update Wednesday night after I take my final and before I'm offline for a week and a half.   



	4. Chapter 4

Wow, I didn't think so many would comment on how much Sydney ate! I think I should defend her, the poor thing! I'm basing some of this spa experience, namely the food, off of my own on a cruise. You eat constantly. It doesn't matter if you're full - you eat some more. Especially at afternoon tea, something I discovered on my last couple cruises. What I described is pretty much the same, though with only more food offered. Of course I'm also remembering the pizza place that was open at the same time... But anyway, in future meal references, I won't go into too much detail, because all the courses would bore you. That or make you go run off to find food. My beta started craving nachos in the last chapter.  
  
I hope this chapter will satisfy you, especially since I leave tomorrow and won't be back until the 16th. But considering my beta's comments...hehe...I think you'll love this chapter. I know I do!   
  
**Chapter 4**  
  
They unpacked in silence. Sydney carefully avoided him as she went from the bedroom to the closet and bathroom as she hung her clothes up and put her toiletries away. As she transferred some of her clothes to the top drawers that she had claimed, Vaughn tried to talk to her.   
  
"I was thinking we could order up dinner later, that way you can rest tonight. I'm sure you want to take that off."   
  
Not bothering to turn around, she kept unpacking as she calmly replied, "I can't take it off, Vaughn."   
  
"I think in the privacy of our room you can."   
  
Sydney's anger flared as she spun around to face him. Lifting her blouse, she bitingly retorted, "Does this look like I can take it off?" She knew she shouldn't be mad at him, but she wasn't in the best mood at the moment because of the whole situation.   
  
Vaughn's eyes widened, and he swallowed reflexively. The sight in front of him had haunted his dreams for two years when he believed her to be dead. His dream of having a life with her had vanished in one night, but all he could ever see was her shining face, smiling and laughing, and the two of them excited about their future together. How many times had he wished for the chance to have a child with her? To kiss her stomach, knowing there was a baby inside.   
  
Now, he was staring at that dream. It was obvious that she wasn't wearing a normal belly suit. It looked quite real. Though he couldn't imagine how.   
  
"It's glued on," she said, answering his unspoken question.   
  
He wanted to walk over and touch it...touch her. To see if his mind was playing a trick on him. But he didn't, knowing she would get upset.   
  
"I'm sorry, I didn't know," he apologized.   
  
She lowered her blouse and sighed. "I know. I'm sorry I blew up at you. It's just been a long day."   
  
"Sydney, we need to talk."   
  
Shaking her head, she went to put the last of her clothes in the drawer. "It's too hard, Vaughn. Nothing's going to change between us, so it's not worth it to even try."   
  
He ran a hand through his hair, frustration running through him. Without really thinking, he walked over to her, and forced her to face him, to look him in the eye. His voice strong, yet desperate at the same time, he argued, "Yes it is."  
  
Sydney looked up at him in shock, shrugging his hand off her arm. The look in his eyes almost scared her. They were passionate and determined, but a hint of sadness lurked in the back. She couldn't understand why he was forcing this conversation when it would just lead to more pain.   
  
Taking a deep breath, he explained, "I know it's been hard Sydney. It's been hard for me ever since you died. And even harder since you came back. Do you know how painful it's been to watch you today? All I see in front of me is all I ever wanted."   
  
A tear fell down her cheek, and she quickly wiped it away. She would not let him affect her like this again. She wasn't strong enough to pick up the pieces every time he talked to her. In a strained voice, she pleaded with him, "You can't keep saying these things, Vaughn. They're hurting me more than you know. I know you want me to be happy, so please, just let me be."   
  
Vaughn's heart broke, and he whispered, "I can't."   
  
"But you're married, Vaughn!" she cried out.   
  
Why was he saying these things? If he wasn't happy with Lauren, then he should say so, but if he couldn't decide, then he needed to leave her out of his mess. She didn't want to be his mistress. And she didn't want to be tossed aside every time he went back to her. It broke her heart, but she knew she had to move on.   
  
"But I don't love her. I never have," he confessed, the words a burden off his soul.   
  
Sydney looked at him confused. As much as she had longed to hear those words, she never expected to actually hear them. "What are you saying?"   
  
He took her hand, and led her to the bed, shoving their suitcases out of the way. They sat facing each other, Vaughn still grasping her hand. He'd been waiting months to finally tell her the truth. Years wanting to tell her how much he loved her.   
  
"Lauren is Covenant."   
  
"What? Are you serious?" He nodded, the shame in his eyes clear. The idea that she was, he had...her mind went through the news at a rapid speed, trying to comprehend it. She looked up at him in shock with a sudden thought. "How long have you known?"  
  
"Before she even approached me."   
  
"And you married her?!" Sydney exclaimed, the idea hard to swallow. Every mission where she had to seduce someone, it always disgusted her, but she never let it go too far, and it never lasted very long. But the fact that Vaughn married her?   
  
"Sydney, listen to me," he begged. "After you died, I nearly killed myself because I was so torn up. But I couldn't let myself do that, not to your memory. And not when I could do something about your death. You went after the Alliance after Danny died, I went after the Covenant. I had to do it. I never wanted to be with her, but I figured if I could take them down, then maybe I could have some peace with what happened."   
  
She started to cry, and he leaned over to wipe away her tears. "I never stopped loving you. I never let her take your place. And even though it's been one hundred times more painful watching you ever since you came back, I don't regret these past few months. Because you're alive and that's all I ever wished for these last two years. I'm sorry you've had to see me with Lauren, and I'm sorry I had to lie to you."   
  
"Why couldn't you tell me the truth?"   
  
He sighed, raking his other hand through his hair again. "We couldn't risk it. Sydney, things between us...they're complicated, and if Lauren ever suspected that there was something going on... I know that doesn't justify things, but I was in deep and I couldn't lose the link to Covenant."   
  
Sydney slowly nodded, taking it all in, though she still wasn't happy. However, one thing bugged her. "Why are you telling me now?"   
  
Vaughn gave her a small smile. "This past year, I had a contact, high up in the Covenant. A few months ago he was diagnosed with cancer, a brain tumor. It was inoperable and he decided it wasn't worth fighting for. Instead he chose to put his affairs in order, and one of those being that he wanted to take down the Covenant. He started talking to me, giving me info that could help take them down."   
  
"I don't understand. Why did he want to take them down?"   
  
"Well, from what I understand, he was there from the beginning, sort of an investor, and he never really got into Rambaldi. He didn't like how things were run, I guess. But you know how it is, bad guys never get along."   
  
She laughed, nodding, knowing how true that was. Loyalties were thin and broken easily and without warning.   
  
"During one of our last few meets, he gave me a disk, saying it had everything I needed. The problem was that it was encrypted."   
  
"Sullivan's encryption."   
  
Vaughn nodded. "Yes."   
  
"But can't the CIA get in anyway?"   
  
He shook his head. "No, whoever gave my contact the encryption software had found the keyhole and closed it. Marshall says it'll take months to figure it out."   
  
"But wouldn't your contact have the key?"   
  
"He did, and he told me that he hid it, but he died before he ever told me the location."  
  
Sydney drew in a breath, now understanding why they were there at the spa, but still confused about the details of the mission they had gone over. "So we're here to have Sullivan unlock the disk. Does he know we're coming?"   
  
"He does. And just like Dixon said, Sullivan didn't want to disrupt his family life or business, and we certainly didn't want to alert the Covenant that we're using him or about the disk."   
  
"Lauren doesn't know anything?"   
  
"No, she doesn't even know what state we're in. She thinks this is something strictly CIA related, with no Covenant or Rambaldi ties. I also made sure the conference she's attending is real, and I would hope she wouldn't blow her cover by missing it. We should have no problems this week. And while I know we could have found some other excuse to meet with Sullivan, besides as guests, I wanted you to have this vacation. Dixon agreed."  
  
"So Dixon knows about Lauren?"   
  
"Right before you came back, I was already considering my return to the CIA. I was hoping Lauren would step up her efforts, and I would be able to end it quicker. I told Dixon then."   
  
"What about my dad?"   
  
"He only just found out the other day when we outlined this mission."   
  
"So maybe that's why he was smiling before the debrief."   
  
Vaughn sighed, recalling the meeting he had with Dixon and Jack. Things had started out tense, but by the end, they all had cooled down. "Yes, well, Jack seemed particularly happy about the news. I knew he hated me, and by association, Lauren as well. I'm hoping I have redeemed myself somewhat in your father's eyes, but I'm not holding my breath."   
  
Sydney grinned, remembering her father's words when he found out that Vaughn had married. Unfortunately, as much as she was upset with Vaughn at the time, she never agreed with her father's opinion. Vaughn was still important to her.   
  
As relieved as Vaughn felt for telling her the truth finally, he still had to a long way to go, to repair things with her. Taking a deep breath, he gave her a small smile, staring into her eyes. "Look, Syd, I know I've caused you a lot of pain this past year, and I can only hope you give me a chance to make it up to you. I, especially, wanted to give you this vacation so you could relax, and we could talk and hopefully work things out. I know I'm asking for a lot, and maybe I don't deserve a second chance, but just know that I still love you."  
  
Carefully, he watched her reaction as he spoke, and when he finished, he waited to hear her out, knowing this wouldn't be an easy road.   
  
Sydney glanced down at their entwined fingers and inwardly beamed. She was so happy that they were at this point again, and even this small gesture meant a lot to her. It had been way too long since she had someone there for her, to hold her hand and offer his love. She looked back up at him and gave him a reassuring smile.   
  
"Vaughn, let me be honest with you. These past few months have been really hard, and I have been upset with you. But as many times as I told myself that I had to move on, I never could. I couldn't stop loving you. It was foolish of me to ever hope that I could wait and see if you'd come back to me, but now that I know the truth, I know I'm not giving up this chance. I still love you too."   
  
Scooting closer to her, Vaughn held her in his arms, bringing her head to rest on his shoulder. Gingerly, he kissed her forehead. "I will do everything in my power to make you happy again, Syd. I will make it up to you."   
  
They sat in silence for a few minutes, Vaughn enjoying the feel of having her in his arms again, and Sydney content to be there. Things wouldn't always be easy for them, but things were looking up. The week long vacation would mend some of their wounds, and hopefully begin the emotional healing process that would invariably take longer.   
  
With one hand still squeezing hers, his other started rubbing gentle circles on the back of her neck. He broke the silence, whispering softly in her ear, "What do you feel like doing for the rest of the night? I'm assuming you're still full and we can wait on dinner."   
  
Sydney pulled away from his warm body, sat up straight and stretched her arms out a bit. "Actually, I need a shower. I've been sweating all day, and I thought this thing would slide off of me."   
  
"It won't, will it?" he looked at her apprehensively. She couldn't lose her cover now. As uncomfortable as she surely was, he knew it was too important for them to go unnoticed this week and accomplish their mission without any hitches.   
  
"Oh no, it won't. They assured me that this glue is strong and it won't be falling off. But that doesn't mean that it feels secure."   
  
"It will come off though, right?"   
  
"It better come off!" she exclaimed, grinning as she rubbed her belly. "They said it was some movie magic and that the glue was safe on my skin, so I assume there's some way to take it off. I just hope it takes less time to remove it than to put it on."   
  
"How long did it take?"   
  
"Almost three hours."   
  
Vaughn's eyes dropped, the guilt overcoming him. "I'm so sorry Syd. I didn't realize they would go this far. I just thought you could relax this week."   
  
"Hey, it's okay, Vaughn. It's not your fault that this guy chose to own a spa for pregnant couples and the wardrobe department had their fun with me. It's just a week, and I think I can get through it now."   
  
They shared a look of understanding, knowing that this week was for them. The mission was important, but they were going to enjoy the time together, with no interruptions and no lies. Vaughn gave her a peck on her cheek, then stood up to help her up. "Good, I'm glad. Now go cool off. I can only imagine how hot you are."   
  
Sydney groaned as she walked to grab the robe they provided her in the closet. "I'm just happy that it's not summer yet. I would be sitting in that Mist Room all day long. I'm still planning on visiting it quite often though. And right now, that bathing suit doesn't sound half bad."   
  
"You'll be fine. Now, do you need any help?"   
  
She looked over her shoulder at him coyly. "In the shower? I think I can handle it." With a soft click, she disappeared into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. Vaughn shook his head laughing, and went to turn on the TV.   
  
In the bathroom, Sydney hung up the robe on a hook attached to the towel rack. Slowly she unbuttoned her blouse, and stretched to remove her bra. Leaning on the vanity, she tried to keep her balance as she tugged her pants and underwear off. Then standing up straight, she looked at herself in the mirror and cautiously rubbed her new belly. It was definitely something she hadn't expected to see in the mirror for a long time.   
  
Making a quick decision, she walked over to the bathroom door, and peeked her head out. "Vaughn, I've reconsidered."   
  
He was lying on the bed, suitcases now gone, and watching a hockey game. His head turned toward her, puzzled. "Hmm?"   
  
"Your offer of help."   
  
Vaughn's eyes lit up, and in a flash, the TV was turned off and he was walking towards her and the bathroom.   
  
Grinning, she turned back around, and went to turn on the shower. She stood outside the stall, one hand inside testing the temperature. As much as she longed for an ice cold shower, she knew he wouldn't. The rustle of clothes met her ears, and she let herself steal a glance back at him. Her heart soared as she realized that he was hers once again.  
  
Tearing her eyes away from him, she settled on a good warm temperature, and grabbed two towels from the rack and slung them over the shower door so they could reach them later. She jumped when she felt his hands come around her middle, and his head leaned down to kiss the side of her neck.   
  
"I've missed you," he moaned between kisses up and down her neck and along her shoulders.   
  
She let her body lean instinctively back into his arms, her head lolling to the side as she welcomed his warm lips. "Me too," she whispered. She could have easily gone to heaven in that moment, feeling complete and loved by the one man who made her heart beat wildly every time he touched her.   
  
Pausing his barrage of kisses, he gently nudged her into the shower, and shut the door behind him. Even with her new size, they had no problems fitting, and there was little space between the two as the water hit them, raining down their bodies. Sydney sighed in contentment, the water a blessed sensation even if it wasn't cold.   
  
Vaughn's hands and lips ran all over her body, remembering every detail, and learning new ones. There were more scars, but she remained the same woman he had dreamt about for over two years. If possible, she was more beautiful now than ever before in his eyes. Greedily, he took all of her in, knowing she had given herself to him, leaving all their worries and pain in the past.   
  
Returning to her face, he kissed her long and hard, theirs tongues mingling in an all too familiar dance. Breaking apart to breathe, he watched in delight as her eyes opened, deep pools of endless brown meeting his and without saying a word, he knew he was on his way to making her happy again. They stared at each other, not saying anything, yet silently communicating their love at the same time. Her hand came up to his face, and softly, caresses his forehead, smoothing out the skin that was normally wrinkled in worry. There were no wrinkles now, no worry in sight.   
  
She smiled, gave him a quick kiss then leaned around to pick up the bottle of shampoo from the shower bench. Before she could even uncap it, he took it out of her hands, and opened it himself. He squeezed some of the cool pink liquid into his right hand, and set the bottle back down. Turning her body around, he massaged the shampoo in her hair, taking his time as he let his fingers dance through her hair and on her scalp. Her body relaxed under his touch, and once he finished, she leaned back completely resting in his embrace. She stayed there for a few minutes, his arms the only thing keeping her up.  
  
But before she could fall asleep in his arms, as he feared she would lest she stay in that one position, he had her stand up straight and rinse out her hair. Picking up the conditioner, he repeated his earlier motions. While he let it sit, he took the loofa and body wash and carefully scrubbed her skin, taking his time as he explored her body once again. Together they both ran their hands over her belly and learned the new curves that graced her figure. While in the back of his mind, he knew it was fake, a thrill went through him as his fingers danced across the wide span of skin that stretched out before him.   
  
One day, he told himself...he would have this for real.   
  



	5. Chapter 5

Sorry for the long break, but I'm back! Updates probably won't be as fast anymore, sorry! I write slow when I'm at home...not much time to myself. Thanks for the reviews and enjoy!  
  
**Chapter 5**  
  
"You're staring."   
  
Although currently the mirrors were fogged up, Sydney had felt his eyes on her for the past few minutes as she brushed her hair.   
  
The bathroom had turned into a sauna after their long shower, and steam hung in the air long after they had come out. Vaughn had opened the door to the bedroom to cool it off, knowing Sydney would only tolerate the warm air for so long.   
  
Clad in only a towel around his waist, Vaughn walked behind Sydney and wrapped his arms around her, laying his head on her shoulder, inhaling the soft scent of raspberries in her hair.   
  
"For the past few months, I've had to keep myself from staring at you every minute. Now that I'm allowed, I'm taking advantage of the opportunity."   
  
"That doesn't mean you have to be a voyeur," she teased as she put down her brush on the counter. Her hands came up to rest on his and she smiled at him in the mirror, now in a state of defogging.   
  
"Mmm..." he mumbled into her shoulder. He lifted his head briefly and glanced at her in the mirror. "As if you mind?" Not waiting for an answer, he kissed her neck, pushing her robe out of the way.   
  
Sydney giggled, and playfully swatted him. But that only spurred him on, sending his lips along her shoulders. "You're mine, and mine alone. To stare at, to touch, and to love."   
  
"So possessive now, too?"   
  
Sydney felt his head nod amidst her hair and neck. His breath gently tickled her skin as he replied, "Yep. You wouldn't believe the way men look at you, Sydney."   
  
"Well, I doubt you'll have to fight off any jealous men this week."   
  
Vaughn paused, turning her around to face him. He seared his lips down on her, kissing her without thought. "You're beautiful." Then with a flick of his wrist, he had her robe open, and he knelt down before her. Cradling her stomach with his hands, he started kissing her belly all over. "Even with this."   
  
She smiled so wide, she thought the entire world could probably see how happy she was. Her left hand came to rest on his, and she let her right hand play with his damp hair, creating a spiky mess. "You're mine too, right?"   
  
Vaughn looked up at the woman before him. He'd belonged to her since that fateful day when she'd walked into his office with the bright red hair. It had only been a matter of time until she had fully claimed him, along with his heart, and he wasn't going to let that change now. No one could ever come between them.   
  
"Forever."

---

Later they sat on the bed, embraced in each other's arms, leaning against the padded headboard watching the end of the hockey game. Vaughn was now in boxers and a T-shirt, while Sydney had put on some stretchy exercise pants that fit over her new waist and an equally stretchy tank top that fit snuggly around her belly.   
  
Glancing over at the alarm clock on the nightstand to the right of him, Vaughn noticed it was nearing seven o'clock. He squeezed her arm, getting her attention.   
  
"Hey, are you up for dinner yet? It's almost seven."   
  
Sydney looked up in surprise. "Oh, Vaughn! I'm sorry, you must be hungry, I didn't think about that."   
  
Vaughn laughed. "Well, I'm probably a bit more hungry than you. After all, I didn't devour half the buffet table."   
  
"I did not!"   
  
He shook his head laughing. "Oh yes you did. I saw them replenishing the trays soon after you started eating."   
  
She smacked him, and stuck her tongue at him, earning more laughs from him. "There were other people eating at the same time."   
  
"Yes, dear, whatever you say," he replied teasingly, but knowing that it was best to move on to a safer subject before she tackled him, belly and all. Stretching his arm over to the nightstand, he picked up the green notebook he had snatched earlier from the living room. He flipped through the pages until he found the menus.   
  
"Okay, tonight's menu includes grilled salmon," he started to list off. Sydney's nose wrinkled and she shook her head. "Okay, no fish. Vegetable Primavera over penne pasta, Chicken Marsala, and pasta with white clam sauce."   
  
"Chicken Marsala."   
  
"Okay, chicken it is. Soup or salad?"   
  
"Salad."   
  
"French dressing?"   
  
"Of course!" She grinned, happy that he remembered.   
  
"I thought so. Now look over the desserts. They're all offered throughout the week," he said, handing over the notebook to her.   
  
She perused the list, tapping her fingers on the cool laminate as she went one by one. "Chocolate soufflé," she finally decided then handed the book back to him.   
  
Sydney didn't pay attention as Vaughn ordered their dinner over the phone, mindlessly watching the game on TV. However, when she heard him order two glasses of wine, she snapped back to reality.   
  
"Vaughn! I'm not supposed to-" she hissed at him, but he just waved her away. He laughed at whatever the person he was talking to said, and commented, "Oh, she knows she's not supposed to drink. These are both for me. I just felt it would be easier than getting the full bottle." He paused and nodded his head at whatever the person said. "Okay, that's great. Thanks."   
  
He hung up the phone and turned back to her smiling. "All set. They'll be up in twenty-five minutes."   
  
"Now, you're not really going to drink both glasses, are you?" she scooted closer to him suggestively.   
  
"Nope. I thought we'd take advantage of the privacy tonight, since you can't drink in the dining room."   
  
"Thanks."   
  
"You're welcome." He kissed the top of her head, and they both focused back on the game, which had just ended. A golf game from earlier in the day started playing, but neither paid attention as they silently enjoyed each other's company.   
  
After a few minutes though, Sydney broke the silence. "Are you looking forward to this week?"   
  
"Yeah, I am. It's not Santa Barbara, but it's a start."   
  
She looked at him wistfully, but didn't let the memory hurt her like it had over the past few months. This week was going to be theirs, and she was going to enjoy it. "At least we don't have to pay for it."   
  
Vaughn chuckled. "Very true. I think it's the least that the CIA could give us after the past few years."   
  
They didn't say anything after his last comment, the truth of the matter sinking in. A lot had happened over the years. They'd lost a lot, yet somehow they were still there, and they found another chance to be together. Sydney didn't think they were going to let anything or anyone take that away from them.   
  
A knock on the door fifteen minutes later stirred them out of their silence. Vaughn stood up quickly to answer the door, and Sydney slowly pushed herself out of bed, making her way to the table in the living room. She sat down as the waiter from the dining room set up their table. Producing a tablecloth from the cart he had brought with him, he opened it up and carefully arranged it on the table. Salt and pepper shakers followed; the pepper with its own grinder. To Sydney's delight, perfectly folded cloth napkins in the shape of swans were also provided. Silverware from salad forks to dessert forks and spoons were meticulously laid out before her. A small candle was set in the middle of the table, and lit, followed by fresh lilies in a small vase.   
  
The waiter worked quickly and efficiently, placing their desserts in the fridge, then explained that their dinners were on a hot plate. Graciously unfolding the napkin in front of her and placing it on her lap, he then brought out their salads. Their salad dressing was left on the table in small gravy boats. Finally, he poured out ice water into water goblets, leaving the pitcher on the cart. One wine glass was placed in front of Vaughn; the second remaining on the cart aside the pitcher. Before leaving, he further explained that they could call up for coffee or tea when they so desired. Then, wishing them a bon appetite, he left them alone to enjoy their meal.   
  
Vaughn quickly stood up once he'd left and moved the second glass of wine next to Sydney's water glass. Sitting back down, he raised his own glass for a toast.   
  
"To second chances."   
  
Sydney smiled, then softly tapped her glass with his and took a sip. They were quiet as they ate their salads, and Vaughn insisted on serving their entrees, not letting her get up to help.   
  
"You're not going to let me do anything myself this week are you?" she asked teasingly. Though she really couldn't complain. Especially regarding the shower. She could get used to that kind of treatment.   
  
Vaughn just grinned and shook his head. "This is your week. And since I'm the reason why you're wearing that thing, even if not in the literal sense, I want you to relax. Forget that you even have it."   
  
Sydney looked down at her belly and laughed, her left hand coming to rest on it. "I don't think that's possible. But I will try to put it out of my mind as much as possible."   
  
"What's it like?"   
  
"In one word - weird. I've worn all kinds of crazy costumes, but this one takes the cake. I can still feel my own stomach underneath, but it's kinda become numb. It's this foreign object glued to me that my instincts tell me to rip off."   
  
Vaughn frowned. "Oh, don't do that."   
  
"I wouldn't even try. I doubt I could anyway. But it doesn't change the fact that it's heavy, uncomfortable and hot," she replied, shaking her head. Though to prove her point, she took a long drink from her water glass, knowing if she kept drinking as much as she was, she'd be going to the bathroom as often as a real pregnant woman.   
  
"Well, we'll just have to find ways to cool you off and feel comfortable," he remarked, and they smiled at each other, both consciously thinking of their shower again.  
  
---

They finished dinner and dessert, and opted out of coffee or tea because Sydney was so hot. Vaughn cleaned up everything, leaving the cart outside in the hall while Sydney lay on the bed, her tank top gone in hopes of cooling down.   
  
Vaughn's face suddenly loomed over hers and he bent down to kiss her. "If you're not too tired, how about we go for a walk? Hopefully it'll be cooler out there with the night breeze. I read that it gets down into the forties at night."   
  
Not bothering to even respond, Sydney immediately held out her hands for Vaughn to help her up. They grinned at each other, kissed briefly before each went to change. Syd just threw on a large T-shirt, knowing that she wasn't trying to impress anyone, especially since comfort seemed to be a big deal around the spa. They were out the door in a few minutes, and Vaughn's arm was around her shoulders as soon as they stepped out of the elevator and started towards the walking trail around the resort.   
  
It was a quiet, peaceful night, and the stars were out, something they didn't see too often in the city. They passed a few couples also out to enjoy the cool night, but the actual path was empty and they were able to have it all to themselves. The wind blew softly, cooling the night air that had just started to drop, so Sydney was quite comfortable.   
  
They walked in silence for several minutes, the moment not really calling for conversation since they had a whole week ahead of them. For once it was just nice to enjoy the peace and serenity of the night and each other's presence, away from all the pain of their real life.   
  
But Sydney's mind was racing at a million miles a second as the day replayed in her head over and over. She couldn't believe all that had happened, not only the surprise of the belly, but mainly the news that Vaughn had given her. Sure, in the back of her mind, tucked away far from everything, she'd had a secret desire that Lauren wasn't who she said she was. Yet she knew that Lauren had to be a special woman for Vaughn to marry her. Mentally she laughed. Lauren was special in a way...she was very important to their hopes of taking down the Covenant.   
  
Now she and Vaughn had a second chance, and she knew that he would do anything for her, and the love that they shared, would last forever. So, raising her head from where she had laid it on his shoulder, she looked up at him, her eyes finding his in the dark night.   
  
"Thank you."   
  
Vaughn momentarily paused, but kept walking. "For what?"   
  
"For everything. This trip...telling me the truth...and loving me," she confessed, laying her head back on his shoulder. Every moment she could touch him was like gold to her, and she found herself constantly needing to be with him in any way.   
  
Laying a kiss on top of her head, he brought up his other hand to carefully brush away some hair that had blown in her face. "Sydney, if there's one thing I cannot stop - it's my love for you. It got me through these past few years, and I'm not going to desert it now. I know in our work, we have to lie a lot, but I don't intend to ever lie to you again. I want you to trust me, and have faith that I'll be honest with you all the time. Of course, that's not to say I will reveal all my embarrassing stories of my childhood."   
  
As he said those last words, he knew he was asking for trouble and he could only grin as she looked up at him eagerly.   
  
"Oh! I want to hear a story! I've barely heard about your childhood."   
  
Laughing, he shook his head. "Well you're not getting them out of me."   
  
Acting like she had to ponder this for a moment, they walked a few steps before she responded with some ammunition, "Hmm...I'll have to probe Eric."   
  
"Thankfully he does not know any of them. I'm afraid you'll just have to live without that bit of knowledge," he replied, amused that she felt this strongly about such an innocent subject. Of course, he was the one who'd brought it up, and he knew Sydney would latch on to it with fervor.   
  
Though Sydney didn't apparently find it so amusing, slapping the hand on her shoulder. "Oh you stink! First you tempt me, then you taunt me! I guess I'll have to call your mother."   
  
Vaughn stopped walking abruptly, causing his arm to fall off of Sydney as she walked a step ahead of him. She turned around and smiled mischievously. He shook his head violently at her this time. There was no way he was going to let her win. "Oh, no you won't! She's like a can of worms! Once you get her started, she won't stop! Nope. You're not talking to her, missy."   
  
"I am a spy you know. I can find her number very easily."   
  
"And what will you say? 'Hi Mrs. Vaughn, I'm your son's girlfriend, who came back from the dead, even though he's technically married right now?'"   
  
His words suddenly brought reality back upon them, and the lighthearted atmosphere was gone. They looked at each other uneasily, and Vaughn could see the worry and uncertainty in her eyes.   
  
"What's going to happen to Lauren? I mean with your marriage," she asked cautiously.  
  
"It'll be annulled since we both went into it under false pretenses. And as far as I'm concerned, it's already over."   
  
"You're still wearing her ring." She pointed out. It was a small detail that had stuck with her, causing her pain since she first saw it in Hong Kong, but even in the past few hours since she learned the truth, it was still something she couldn't deny. He was still married.  
  
He paused and brought up his left hand for both of them to see. "Actually, this is a standard CIA issue wedding ring. It was with great pleasure that I took off Lauren's before I left."   
  
A smile broke out on Sydney's face, then she looked down at her own CIA set of rings. They were both simple gold rings, and the engagement ring had a solitaire princess cut diamond that she knew to be a fake. "I like saying you're my husband."   
  
Vaughn brought his hands up on either side of her face. His thumbs caressed the soft skin of her cheeks, and he gave her a peck on her nose. "You think I'm not thrilled to say you're my wife for a week, either? I knew you were going to be upset when you heard of the mission, but all I could think about, hope really, was that we would talk through things, and we would both enjoy these titles."   
  
Sydney's smile widened as she raised her hands up to his, and they stand for a minute just staring into each other's eyes. The sound of birds calling to each other as they flew overhead broke the moment, and they separated, but not before they took the other's hand and continued to stroll down the path.   
  
"So tell me a story. Pleaseee?" she begged, not letting their former conversation be forgotten.   
  
Vaughn groaned, knowing that he had to tell her something if he ever wanted her to stop pestering him. "Oh, alright! One story." Sydney jumped a little, and squeezed his hand tight, happy that she won the battle.   
  
"I once fell out of a tree and broke my leg."   
  
"That's not embarrassing. Every kid does that."   
  
"It is when the fall was only three feet."   
  
Sydney looked at him amazed then started laughing. Her head came to rest on his shoulder once again, her mood more light and carefree than it had been in months.   
  
"You're kidding me."   
  
"Nope."   
  
"What were you? A klutz? I thought you grew up playing hockey? You should have good reflexes, not to mention, be good on your feet," she asked in disbelief. The man before her had the grace and coordination like no man she'd known before, but apparently he'd had to grow into it.   
  
Vaughn sighed, then sadly explained, "Well you see, while I was up in the tree, I saw a skunk, screamed, hit my head on the tree, was knocked unconscious and fell out of the tree."   
  
"Breaking you leg."   
  
"Yep."   
  
"That's pitiful, Vaughn."   
  
"Tell me about it. I had to make up a grand story so my friends wouldn't laugh at me. My neighbor's cat, huge tree..." he trailed off as he remembered recounting his tale to his boyhood friends.   
  
"And did they believe it?"   
  
"Yep."   
  
"Reputation saved," Sydney commented, her voice taking on a dramatic tone, yet playful at the same time.   
  
"Exactly."   
  
They managed to walk a few more minutes in silence before Sydney asked once again, "I want to hear another story."   
  
"I already told you one. That's all you're getting."   
  
"So, I don't get to hear about your childhood?"   
  
"Yes you can, just not my embarrassing stories. Like you want to tell me yours," he directed it back at her, though he knew he shouldn't press her just yet. Maybe another day.   
  
Sydney nodded in defeat, or so he thought. A moment later she asked, "Your mom still lives in France, right?"   
  
"Yes...but you better stop your scheming, Bristow."   
  
"Who me?"   
  
Without warning, he forced her to stop, and took her head in his hands, letting his lips crash onto hers, sucking them softly, and taking her breath away. Gasping for air, they separated finally, and he grinned at her.   
  
She slapped him on his chest and pouted. "No fair."   
  
Shaking his head, still grinning, he replied, "Come on, let's go back inside." 

  
---  
  
It was as if time had not passed since their last night together. They went about their normal routine getting ready for bed, and there was no bumping into each other or awkwardness because it was as familiar as a well-practiced dance. Kisses were stolen here and there, and Vaughn did not try to hide his lingering eyes that traveled up and down her body as she dressed. Of course the same could be said for her as she watched him change shirts and put on his boxers for the night.   
  
The clerk at the store had tried to sell her skimpy lingerie, but Sydney had refused. Instead she went for comfort, both physically and emotionally. At the time, she knew she couldn't wear anything too revealing because she didn't want to stir up old memories and make Vaughn uncomfortable as well. So now she was wearing a light blue cotton top with matching pants. It was also practical seeing that it cooled down at night.   
  
As Sydney finished up, Vaughn settled in bed turning on the TV to ESPN. Soon she joined him, snuggling up against his warm body, laying her head on his chest. His heartbeat lolled her into a restful state, and the simple fact that she was there with him calmed her even more. She had missed these peaceful nights with him, when even after a hard day at work; they left it behind and just relaxed.   
  
However, when Sydney yawned a few minutes later, Vaughn knew it was time for bed. Turning off the TV, he glanced down at her still form. Her eyes were closed, and he could detect soft breathing. Knowing she wasn't quite asleep yet, but still not wanting to disturb her, he carefully tried to move her so she would be comfortable. She stirred and looked up at him curiously.  
  
"You almost fell asleep on me. I thought you might want to find a more comfortable position for the night," he explained in a low voice.   
  
"I was comfortable," she protested with a pout.   
  
Vaughn chuckled. "I don't doubt that, but by morning, you might regret it. Come on, you might as well get under the covers." As she scooted around, he leaned over to his right, turned off the lamp they had kept on, and the room was bathed in darkness. He slid underneath the cool sheets as well, and Sydney turned so her back was towards him. Spooning against her, he brought his right arm around her, settling it against her middle.  
  
With his left hand, he brushed a tendril of hair away from her face and kissed her cheek gently. He whispered softly in her ear, "Goodnight Syd."   
  
Her head turned briefly to face him and their lips meet in a tender kiss. It was short and sweet, neither needing much more than that. They knew there would be a tomorrow, and there was no feverish desire to let the other know how they felt. That had already been made quite clear, and both knew that they had to take things slow. There would be time later for a more passionate show of their affection, mainly when Sydney wasn't falling asleep on him, but also when they were ready. After the takedown they had gone fast, but now it was time to enjoy each moment for what it was.   
  
"I love you," Sydney murmured as she laid her hand on top of his. Their fingers immediately intertwined and he squeezed them lightly.   
  
"I love you too, Sydney."   



	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Thanks for all the reviews! But just a warning - this is my last written chapter. Now I wait on my muse to inspire me, and hope to find time to write! Please stay with me; I plan on finishing this story! Now, enjoy this chapter and read carefully!  
  
**Chapter 6**  
  
A gentle wind wafted through the room, the cool ocean breeze tickling her senses as she fought to break through her mind's cobwebs as they tried to pull her back into the sweet dream. But the feel of light butterfly kisses on her stomach was enough to bring her into the even sweeter reality. When she opened her eyes, she was greeted by his beautiful green eyes gazing at her, having known just when she would wake. Their connection was stronger than before, their bodies in tune with each other and the minds nearly one.  
  
"Hey," he whispered, not daring to break the quiet of the morning, the peace a soft blanket around them before the day started.   
  
"Hey," she whispered back, the sight of him still making her body tingle, no matter how long they had known each other.   
  
"Did you sleep well? Or did this little one keep you up all night?" His face moved down to her stomach again, as if to lecture it on it's sleeping habits. He laid a hand on the stretched skin and was rewarded with sharp kick that both of them felt.   
  
Sydney giggled. "Well he's awake now, if that's what you're asking." She moved her right hand down to her stomach, and they both sat in silence, feeling the miracle they had created under their fingertips.   
  
"She's going to be a dancer," he proclaimed, smiling as he envisioned a young girl with the beauty and grace just like Sydney.   
  
"Or he'll be a hockey player," she countered, grinning as they continued to banter about the sex of the baby. They had decided to be surprised, but each had their own guess. She imagined a young boy, the spitting image of his father with bright green eyes.   
  
Vaughn leaned back down to her stomach and spoke in a hushed voice, "Now just remember, girls can play hockey too. Mommy isn't being unfair, she just has a silly notion that you're a boy."   
  
"If our boy starts playing with dolls, I'm blaming you."   
  
Pushing himself up to a sitting position, he caught a grin on her face. He shook his head and chuckled, then swiftly moved to kiss her before she could continue her protest. Breaking apart, his face rested only a few inches from hers, their eyes solely on each other. In a deadly calm tone, he suddenly replied, "They're called action figures."   
  
"A-ha! I win! It's a boy!" she exclaimed, a smug look on her face. Her arms shot up, pumping wildly in the air. Vaughn was caught unexpected by her quick movement, and found himself falling back on the bed beside her, only his reflexes stopping him from falling directly on her.   
  
He sighed, then stood up from the bed. "Whatever...we'll see in two months who really won. I'm off to take a shower before we head off to your dad's. I rather not be late this time."   
  
Sydney laughed seeing him give her a pouty face. She never would have guessed that he would be so adamant about having a girl. "Maybe we'll have a girl next time. Would that make you happy?"   
  
Vaughn leaned over the bed, and crushed his lips down on hers, effectively answering her. Their tongues danced briefly, before he moved back and grinned. "Already thinking about a second, huh? Who won now?"   
  
Before she could reply, he was off her and walking across the room to the bathroom, whistling. She groaned, and looked towards the ceiling. How did he do this to her? She laughed silently to herself, knowing that she loved it.   
  
Suddenly she felt his eyes on her, but when she turned her head, he wasn't there. It was then that her senses started to tickle and truly awaken with a dazzling sharpness. Suddenly her mind was clear and she awakened from her dream state once again. The familiar feeling of being watched made sense as reality crashed upon her. The weight of her new belly was pulling her real stomach down towards the bed, and the early sticky heat of the morning was pressing down on her body.   
  
She couldn't help but smile, even though she was giving herself away, knowing that he had been watching her sleep. The dream she'd had was nothing new, her unconscious always taunting her with the future she always wanted but could never have since she'd come back. But now it wasn't painful to wake up from. She wasn't trying to cling to her dream for a few more minutes so she could feel the touch of his fingers or the love he showered on her. For in reality, he was still there.   
  
When she opened her eyes, it was no surprise to see his deep green eyes staring back at her. There was a hint of laughter in them, a joy she knew was mirrored in her own. It was the simplicities of life they both took pleasure in, after enduring such a long time to get to that point. So now, over two years later, that belief still held up, and waking up to see the other beside them was heaven. They knew how special, how important just being there meant. Time would not be taken lightly this time around, and each moment would be treasured.   
  
Even if life went their way and they never had to deal with the Covenant, the threat of Sloane or Rambaldi ever again, they would still cherish the time they got to spend with each other. They had suffered enough, lost enough of their lives. This week was a blessing, something neither could have imagined even a week ago amidst all their pain. Dreams were being fulfilled, and new dreams made for their new future.   
  
And she saw her future lying out before her.   
  
"Hey."   
  
Vaughn grinned, lifting a hand out to finally touch her now that she was awake. He gently brushed back some hair, pushing it behind her ear. "Hey," he echoed, his voice low and rough from the night's sleep.   
  
"I had the best dream," she confessed, watching his eyes the entire time. They lightened as the morning sun danced around the room, highlighting his sandy brown hair as well. Although this same scene had played out in her dream, she knew it was real this time. She could feel the current of love coming from his eyes, striking her like lightning, the electricity running up and down her body.   
  
"And what was your dream about?" he probed, wanting to know what her heart and mind desired. His fingers continued to flit across her face, tracing her features slowly, but he kept his eyes on the brown orbs that radiated love and forgiveness, making his soul sing now that he had her once again. He'd been unable to keep his eyes off of her since he woke up, the truth of reality finally hitting him. For months, he'd woken up wishing to see this very picture before him.   
  
His dream had become reality.   
  
And so had hers.   
  
"Us. And this," she laid a hand on her belly, "was real. I felt it kick, and you talked to it."   
  
"Someday," he promised her, and leaned over to gently kiss her as if to reassure her that it would truly be reality one day and he wasn't going to leave her.   
  
"We argued over whether it was a boy or girl."   
  
"Hmm..." he pondered this simple idea. "And what did you think it was?" His right hand came to rest on her belly, and he rubbed it softly, even though he knew that this part wasn't reality just yet.   
  
"I thought it was a boy. You claimed it was a girl. Which surprised me. I could have sworn you would want a boy." She smiled as she watched his attention divide between her eyes, and now her belly. Resting her hand on top of his, she asked, "What do you want?"   
  
"Both."   
  
"Really?"   
  
"Yep. Though I know I could relate to a boy well, and teach him how to play hockey, I want a girl because she'd be so much like you. And I would spoil her because I can't resist you." As if to prove a point, he moved his hand from her stomach, and picked her hand up. He brought it near his lips, gently kissing her long, slender fingers one by one.  
  
Sydney smiled, loving how devoted he was to her and the idea of a future child. She was a lucky woman to have him and all the love he willing gave her. Their child could only be so lucky to have him as a father too.  
  
"I think no matter the sex, they'd be spoiled."   
  
Vaughn chuckled and nodded. He squeezed her hand, laying it down between them. "Very true. My mother alone, would spoil them rotten."   
  
She laughed, and wondered how her dad would react. Hopefully he would be okay with Vaughn at that point, and used to the idea of them having a family. Though the idea of her dad spoiling a baby would be a sight to see.   
  
"So, you've thought about having kids before?"   
  
"All the time. But only with you."   
  
She looked up with surprise. "Really? Not even with Alice?" She felt her heart doing flip-flops as she digested his words. For so long now, she had tried to turn off her feelings, to push her love and memories back into a closet hidden away from sunlight, but slowly she was taking those steps to open it back up. As happy as she was given yesterday's events, some things still had to sink in.  
  
Just knowing how much he loved her with every word and gesture, she knew she was closer to opening every box in that closet. Unpacking her life, her heart.   
  
There was no hesitation in his voice, in his words as he put away all her fears, even if she never voiced them. "I think you know that my relationship with Alice was...precarious, at best. When you walked into my life, that chapter of my life closed. Sure, I tried to keep it going, but my heart wasn't there. It was back in the office, worrying every minute about you. Did you know that Eric would remind me that my girlfriend's name was Alice every so often?" They grinned at each other, thinking of Weiss and his antics, and how he had switched over to their side.   
  
"Alice was my most serious relationship till then, yet I still never thought of kids, not to mention marriage. But when I saw you...I saw it all. Fighting to take down the Alliance - it wasn't just about wanting to see you in public, or to see your place. I saw our future together and it went farther than I had ever imagined with anyone else. I knew you were the one."   
  
"I wish I could say the same...that I knew from that day..." Sydney's face turned down, her eyes focused on the bed sheets and her finger tracing a pattern only visible to her eyes. She remembered with clarity that day she walked into CIA headquarters, and meeting him for the first time. At that point in time, she still didn't trust anyone, not even the fresh faced guy who tried to bring her donuts and said he had an instinct about her. If only she had known...  
  
Vaughn saw the guilt, the pain of those memories start to cloud over her eyes. Shaking his head, he placed his hand over hers, effectively stopping the endless pattern her index finger outlined. "Don't Syd. You were still grieving, I know how it feels."   
  
His words, though, only sent a new wave of pain and guilt over her. She bit her lip, preventing sobs that were ready to break free. Her body was tired, her heart only starting mend, and the pain of the past year still weighing heavily on her soul. It was a rare night that she didn't cry herself to sleep, and her body was ready unleash the sobs bottled up within her.   
  
"I'm so sorry you had to go through that," she whispered finally, having pushed the sobs down for the moment. She had to get past the pain. Happiness was on the horizon now, and there wasn't a need for the mind numbing, heart splitting pain and tears that had been a common occurrence in her life for so long. Too bad her body hadn't caught up with her heart, the instinct to cry battling the truth of her new reality. It wasn't quite ready to trust yet, having been let down way too many times.   
  
"So am I, and while I have you back, I will always remember the pain of losing you. I still worry everyday that I'll lose you again, that I'll have to go through it all over again. But it doesn't mean I'm going to let it take over my life," he replied, trying hard to push those painful memories down. It wasn't the time to wallow in a past that had been corrected finally. He'd never wanted to hurt her, and even now, he didn't want his pain to hurt her again.   
  
With one finger, he nudged her chin up, forcing her to look at him again. His thumb moved up to wipe away a stray tear on her cheek, and he gave her a hopeful smile. He wished he could heal all her wounds in one kiss, to give her happily ever after, and wipe away all the painful memories. But he couldn't. Though he wanted to try.   
  
"I love you, and I want a life with you. With the 2.5 kids, white picket fence, and of course, Donovan."   
  
Sydney took a deep breath, feeling her stomach settle and the sobs subside. Giving him a small smile, she quietly replied, "Me too."   



	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Sorry for the long wait. Things have been a bit crazy in RL. I was just accepted to grad school, so lots of research and work to do. Please be patient with me this summer as I try to update as often as I can. Enjoy! Thanks for all the reviews so far.  
  
**Chapter 7**  
  
As Sydney pushed the brush through her damp hair unconsciously, her eyes drifted away from her face in the reflection on the steamy mirror. It wasn't crystal clear, however she could discern her figure, but more importantly the figure standing behind her. He was undressing, about to step into the shower. For the sake of time, he had suggested they take separate showers, and while she had protested, she knew it was the smart thing to do. Though that didn't mean she was happy about it. Already she felt the loss of him, having spent the last fifteen hours in his arms in some form.   
  
For months she had lived alone, coming home to silence and TV dinners. She would stare at the vacant right side of her bed nightly and would look for his toothbrush beside hers in the bathroom. The middle drawer in her dresser remained empty, and the only suits in her closet were hers.   
  
Having him now surround her in every way was intoxicating; she had craved his touch while she took her shower. This lust had resulted in one of her fastest showers ever, even with her new cumbersome body. While she knew there was no possible way to be with him every minute, she sure planned on trying this week.   
  
The shower door was made to obscure the person inside, but even combined with the steamy mirror she could still make out his form, sending tingles of excitement all the way down to her toes.   
  
It was finally starting to sink in. There would be no more lonely nights or an empty bed. While the past several months had been painful, her heart had known the truth all along. They were meant to be together, and now that they could, the pain could be forgotten, pushed aside. He hadn't meant for her to see him married; he hadn't expected her to come back from the dead. She couldn't blame him, and logically, she understood why he waited so long to tell her.   
  
Her heart wanted to put some blame on him, but she knew her heart was just recovering from all the heartbreak. Blame could go elsewhere, on the Covenant, which she knew was the reason for her disappearance. Besides, she knew that Vaughn had been hurt in all of this too.   
  
_Vaughn._   
  
That one thought stopped all conscious movement, and the hairbrush dropped on the counter. How would she have reacted if Vaughn had died? She still had the chance to see him daily when she came back, even if it wasn't with him. He had lost her without warning, and without a goodbye.   
  
"You okay?" she heard him call from the shower. Apparently he had heard the brush drop.   
  
With a shaky voice, which she desperately tried to cover up, she replied, "Yes, I'm fine. Just dropped the brush."   
  
The sound of Vaughn's voice managed to snap her from her depressing thoughts. She looked at herself in the mirror and smiled. That was all in the past now. This was her life now, and it included him in every sense. Sure there would be tons of 'what ifs?' they would ask themselves, but they had each other once more and that was all that mattered.  
  
Picking up her blow dryer she continued to get ready for the day, her heart slowly mending, and a smile on her face. One look in the mirror at the figure behind her was all she needed to cheer herself up and look forward to the day ahead.   
  
A few minutes later, the shower turned off, and Vaughn stepped out. Sydney's smile grew, now having a better view. She stopped the blow dryer only after he had wrapped a towel around his waist, and combed his hair. Of course his hair wouldn't stay that neat and he ran his hand through it, effectively messing it up into the spikes she loved.   
  
He covered the expanse of the bathroom in a few steps, and came to stand behind Sydney, resting his hands on her shoulders. "So who's staring now?"   
  
They both grinned at each other in the mirror, then Sydney leaned her head back to catch a kiss she knew he could not refuse, which he didn't. He leaned over to meet her and crushed his lips against hers. A moment later he broke the kiss, gave her a quick peck on her forehead, then stood up straight, and squeezed her shoulders.   
  
"I'm going to go get dressed," he remarked, then left the room before she could protest.  
  
How was it that he always left her wanting more? She shook her head and silently laughed. With a quick swipe of her brush through her hair once more, she got up and went to brush her teeth. As much as he loved her, she knew morning breath wasn't a great turn on. He walked in a moment later and joined her. Once more her eyes swept the length of his body, taking in his casual attire. While it wasn't the t-shirt and jeans that he had worn around the house two years ago, it was still very comfortable to see him in khakis and a dark green polo.   
  
She thought about what she was going to wear when she realized that the one part she had been worried about yesterday was no longer a problem. The belly makeup. Walking back to the vanity area, she pulled out the makeup and brush from a drawer and waited for him to finish brushing his teeth.   
  
"I need your help."   
  
Vaughn turned towards her, wiped his hands on a towel and raised his eyebrows. "With what exactly?"   
  
She waved him over, and opened her robe. Pointing at the lines that marked the edges of the belly, she explained, "I need you to cover them up with makeup. I can't reach all around."   
  
His heart skipped a beat at the sight before him once again. Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to glance at the matter at hand. The lines were hardly noticeable. "Doesn't this look real enough?"   
  
"You do know that you take off your clothes for a massage right?" She mocked, giving him a bright smile when he shook his head at her.   
  
"I was aware of that, thank you. But what about the rest of the week?"   
  
She shrugged and picked up the makeup and brush from the counter. "It's better to be careful in case anything happens."   
  
Vaughn took a step closer to her, resting his hands on her waist, his eyes boring into hers. She stared back at him, mirroring the sudden passion she found in his. When he opened his mouth, his voice was deeper, a bit husky. "If anyone is looking that closely, I'll be forced to remove them painfully."   
  
Now Sydney was forced to take a deep breath, looking away for a moment, then back at him. Breaking away from him, she asked, "And what if it's a doctor?"   
  
He sighed, knowing she had purposely stopped them from going too fast. Vaughn didn't blame her, but it was becoming harder the longer he spent time solely with her, away from work. But technically this was work.  
  
"I don't think we can fool a doctor with this, Syd."   
  
"You'd be surprised. Marshall put a heartbeat and sonogram inside this thing."  
  
To say he was surprised would be an understatement. Excitement bled through the incredulity of his voice as he asked, "A heartbeat? Really?" His eyes moved to her belly immediately and the thought that there actually was a 'heart' beating within it...it was almost too much to handle. Why couldn't this be real? Why did she have to be torn away from him two years ago? His hand itched to rest on her belly, alongside hers.   
  
"Yep, but thank goodness he didn't have time to simulate kicking. I would have killed him if he had. New father or not." Sydney rested her hand on her belly, almost double checking to make sure that Marshall had indeed not added that feature.   
  
Vaughn laughed, then tugged at her other hand, pulling her towards the bedroom. "Come on, we need to get going."   
  
As Sydney settled on the bed, making sure her robe was laying flat under her in case any makeup spilled, she instructed him, "You'll need to put it on thick in areas. This belly isn't a perfect fit and needs some smoothing out on the edges." She tried to take the brush from his hands to show him, but he just waved her away.   
  
"I think I can handle this, Syd," he answered seriously, as he knelt beside the bed.   
  
Sydney bit her tongue to keep from laughing as she realized the absurdity of the situation. If anyone had told her last week that she'd be pseudo pregnant and back together with Vaughn, she would have declared them nuts. So, with a huge grin on her face, she lay back down and allowed Vaughn's calm presence to wash over her. Closing her eyes, she relaxed under his touch. While she couldn't feel his fingers on the belly, she felt his gentle touch on the skin surrounding it.   
  
She knew she should have been more uncomfortable allowing Vaughn to work on her, nonetheless see her in such undress. Though, after sharing the shower last night, and the fact that he had seen her naked years ago on a daily occurrence, she was nowhere near embarrassed. But that didn't stop her body from tensing slightly as his fingers neared the bottom of the belly. Sydney was only starting to push past the pain of the last year, and while she had no problems with him seeing her, they had both agreed without any words that they would take things slowly. At least until they worked out some of their problems, or the belly was no longer present. Apart from comfort issues, it was a clear reminder of what they could have had.   
  
Apparently Vaughn was aware of the same thing, and he was quick as he carefully stretched her skin down so he could paint the underside of her belly. Soon, he was done, and walked around the bed to sit on her other side. He tried to keep himself from staring at her too much, knowing they didn't have the time. But it was too tempting as he glanced at her peaceful face. He recalled all the mornings he would watch her as she slept, and after yearning to see her face for over two years, he had to tear himself away.  
  
Once he finished, he waited for her to say something, or even to open her eyes and acknowledge him. When he realized that she was quite content and was not about to move, he leaned over her and softly blew on her chest. Small goose bumps appeared across her creamy skin, and he was finally rewarded with one open eye peering down at him.   
  
"Yes?"   
  
"You're done."   
  
"I know," Sydney replied. She closed her eyes again, appreciating the peace and quiet. Rarely did a mission entail such a lack of running around and general mayhem.   
  
"We should get going, unless you don't want breakfast."   
  
She acted like she hadn't heard him, remaining still, breathing softly. That is, until Vaughn started tickling her on her sides, mindful of the makeup, but intent on getting her moving.   
  
Sydney shrieked, her eyes snapping open as if she needed visual confirmation that he was indeed tickling her. He only laughed in return, his fingers dancing over her sensitive sides amidst her arms flying wildly all over the place. It took a few moments before she tried to stop him, her hands desperately seeking his in an effort to push him off.   
  
"Stop!! Please!" she begged as her body jumped all over the bed, and her lungs gasped for air.  
  
Their laughter was loud and youthful as the torment continued, before Vaughn's finger movements finally ceased. Sydney was breathing heavily, but grinning nonetheless. "You'll pay for that," she warned.   
  
Vaughn just shrugged, knowing it was well worth seeing her smile and laugh, knowing anything she would do as payment would be equally enjoyable. He moved so that he was lying on his stomach, his head leaning on his elbows, head resting in his hands. Not saying a word, he stared at her. If she wasn't going to move, then at least he would enjoy the time just watching her.   
  
Sydney had felt his eyes rest on her and had resisted giving into him, but after a couple minutes she turned her head and looked at him pointedly. Curious, she asked, "What?"  
  
"I'm the only one dressed here," he simply remarked, smirking.   
  
The side of her mouth turned up, smiling. Her tone a little playful, she asked, "And that's a problem?"   
  
Vaughn had to choke back a laugh. He knew they were waiting, but apparently this morning she might have changed her mind. Or she just wanted to keep playing. He decided to cooperate and joined her in her mirth. "I'm not sure about that. Though, we'll miss the massage if we stay too long."   
  
Syd pretended to ponder the matter seriously for a minute, then sighed dramatically. "Well, oh alright. I have been looking forward to it."   
  
Pushing all joking aside, he brushed a soft kiss against her cheek. Whispering in her ear, "There's plenty of time for fun later."   



	8. Chapter 8

So I apologize profusely for the long wait of this chapter. Seriously, it does not seem like nearly a month ago that I posted. However, I do have good news! I started writing the next chapter a few days ago. Hopefully it won't take too long to finish it this time. Of course, I won't be flying off to DC or anywhere else in the near future, so I'll be home to write. Even better - my new laptop comes in this week! (Okay...not quite sure how that will help me write faster when I can barely type on a laptop and given the fact that I will be transferring all my files and configuring it for awhile...)   
  
ALSO! We're returning to plot. I know, this is sad, the fluff was fun. Yet I realized (and confirmed my long ago suspicions) I am not a pure fluff writer. I need some plot to work with. There will be fluff interwoven still, trust me. I can't write outright ALL PLOT...so I leave that to the pros...   
  
The best news of all - since my beta and I revamped the story slightly to add some plot, I now have direction and I'm ready to plow through it.   
  
So, on that note...the update! Enjoy!   
  
**Chapter 8**  
  
After Sydney finally agreed to get ready, and Vaughn had blow-dried the makeup, they made their way down to the dining room. However, he couldn't resist ribbing her in the privacy of the elevator.   
  
"Now just remember, you're not really pregnant, so you don't have to eat for two," he commented with a straight face. He was rewarded with a firm smack on his shoulder. Staring at her irritated reflection of the elevator walls, he smirked.   
  
Steaming slightly, but only for show, Sydney hotly retorted, "Will you be commenting on my eating habits the whole week? Maybe I need to go find myself a new husband. Someone who will appreciate me, and the weight I'm carrying around this week. Like Eric."   
  
She watched as his mouth opened slightly in shock and he glared at her. Tossing her hair aside, she moved one hand to rest on her belly rather pointedly. Her other hand went to brace her lower back, the extra weight already beginning to pull her spine forward.   
  
Raking a hand through his hair and sighing, he apologized, "I'm sorry."   
  
The elevator door dinged open, and with a wide grin, Sydney stepped out, swinging her arms, and with a slight bounce to her step. She glanced at him quickly, laughing, quite satisfied with her victory. Vaughn paused, his feet frozen to the spot, and gazed at her in wonder. She'd tricked him. When the elevator doors started to close on him, he lurched forward and followed her through the lobby, wondering how he was going to survive the rest of the week.   
  
Her satisfaction was short lived, however. Upon arrival at their table in the dining room, she was given the option of decaf coffee and tea, milk, juice and nectar. The notion of going without her caffeine for the week brought her sunny morning to a halt.   
  
"How am I going to wake up?" she hissed at Vaughn after the waiter had left them alone to look over their menus.   
  
"You aren't awake enough?"   
  
Raising her eyebrows, she looked at him incredulously. "You're just full of jokes this morning, aren't you?"   
  
"I'm sure a swim in the pool would do the trick," he commented, with a twinkle in his eye.   
  
Before she could get back at him, a voice called out, "Adam!" Looking up, she saw David Sullivan standing before them and grinning.   
  
Vaughn stood up to greet him, the two slapping each other's backs then shaking hands. It was all an act, Sydney knew because 'Adam' was supposed to know David Sullivan personally. Continuing the charade, Vaughn waved his hand over at her, introducing her to David.   
  
"David, I would like you to meet my wife, Lindsey." Sydney started to rise from the table, but David shook his head, shaking her hand before she could get up. "Pleased to meet you, Lindsey."   
  
Acting his part for any curious eyes, Vaughn finished his introductions, "Lindsey, this is David Sullivan, my suitemate from college."   
  
With a mischievous grin, Sydney replied, "Oh, does this mean I get to hear all about Adam in college?"   
  
David laughed, nodding. "Yes, but another time. We need to have dinner together this week to catch up. I just stopped by to see how you were doing and if you needed anything. Everything is okay, I hope?" He glanced between the two of them with a pensive expression, belying his true fear of the entire situation.   
  
"Oh yes, we're enjoying ourselves greatly. Thank you so much for finding the room for us on such short notice," Sydney answered truthfully, smiling brighter than anything Vaughn had seen in a long time.   
  
"It was no problem; we'd had a cancellation," David explained.   
  
"Does that happen often?" Honestly, Sydney did not know why anyone would give up such a vacation. She wasn't even technically pregnant, and she already realized how much it was needed.   
  
"Actually, we get cancellations all the time. You know how your doctor had to give approval for you to come?" Sydney nodded, knowing that there had been official paperwork they'd had to forge. "Well, so many of our guests book their visits months in advance, but when the time comes for the doctor to say it's safe for them, they'll have complications that prevent them from coming. It's unfortunate, but we understand, and that's why we have their doctor's approval so mother and baby are safe if they're here for a week. Of course we have our own doctor on staff, but that's just for emergencies."  
  
David then clasped his hands and smiled. "Well, I won't keep you. Is Wednesday night okay?" Sydney and Vaughn nodded. "Good, good. Just meet me in the lobby at seven and we'll eat in my private dining room. I'll see you then. Enjoy your stay." He shook Vaughn's hand again, smiled at Sydney and went to mill around and greet the other guests.   
  
Vaughn took his seat, opened his mouth to speak but their waiter once again interrupted him, placing their drinks and fresh fruit they'd ordered on their table. After he left, he glanced at Sydney and smiled.   
  
"So, we're all set."   
  
She nodded and sighed. He frowned. "What's wrong?"   
  
"Well, I almost wish it was Wednesday night so we can get the Intel," she reasoned, picking up her fork and knife to cut the melon on the plate before her.   
  
Reaching across the table, he slipped his fingers through hers, rubbing his thumb in a small circle and gave her a big smile. "All in due time, Syd. First let's enjoy our vacation, and then we can worry about the mission. I don't foresee any problems, especially anything to worry about."   
  


-----

  
They finished breakfast with ten minutes to spare before their appointment. Walking back to their room to make a quick check of the belly before it was unveiled, Sydney suddenly realized it wasn't just her that was about to be seen. Over the past few months, she hadn't allowed herself to think about the reality of Vaughn's marriage, but now that he was hers and hers alone...well, she wasn't too happy with him undressing in front of most likely two ladies who would be their therapists.   
  
She was mulling over this point silently, and that caught Vaughn's attention as they walked towards the massage center.   
  
"You aren't worried, are you?"   
  
Whipping her head around at the sound of his gentle voice, she gave him a small smile and shook her head.   
  
"Not exactly. Just suddenly aware that you're in this too," she commented, blushing at the thought now that she had voiced it.   
  
He grinned and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Is someone jealous?"   
  
Leaning her head in the crook of his neck, she mumbled, "Maybe..."  
  
Vaughn almost laughed, but knew better. This was something they had to face now. She wasn't the one looking in at the relationship anymore, and he understood what she was feeling. If anyone dared to look at her, he'd be as upset as she was with the massage. Of course, this was a special circumstance that would normally not be reversed.   
  
"You have nothing to worry about, Syd. These are professionals, and I'm certainly not interested in anyone but you," he said reassuringly, kissing her on her forehead right as they came to a halt in front of the door.   
  
Sydney didn't respond, but she knew it would be okay. It was time to enjoy the week, and a massage would surely start the week off well.   
  
Together, they walked into a small waiting room, with six chairs in pairs sitting along the walls, end tables between them. Magazines littered the surfaces, and Sydney could only imagine what they were about. A desk stood along the far wall, next to a closed door. The room was done in neutral colors, very much like a doctor's office. They were greeted by a middle-aged woman sitting at the desk, with dark brown hair starting to gray, with glasses resting on her nose.   
  
Vaughn introduced them, and she nodded knowingly after taking a quick glance at a schedule to confirm their appointment.   
  
"If you could take a seat please, they'll be ready in a few minutes. Thank you."   
  
After taking a seat, Sydney picked up a magazine, partly to fit the part of the expectant mother, but also to satisfy her curiosity. There were several parental magazines to choose from, as well as the typical entertainment and sports. She started to flip through a parental one, and abruptly stopped at the sight of a photo.  
  
Elbowing Vaughn, she hissed, "Not only do I have to go through nine months plus the pain of labor, but I get _this_???"  
  
Vaughn looked down at the photo and corresponding article she was pointing to.   
  
Stretch marks.   
  
He tried to suppress a grin, but couldn't help it. Sydney glared at him, leaned back and continued to read the article that held tips about how to minimize them. Something told her it was useful information that she would with any luck need in the future.   
  
Just as she was about to finish the article, the door opened, and a young couple walked out. They looked very relaxed, Sydney noted with pleasure. Two women, somewhere in their thirties followed them out and privately chatted with the lady at the desk. A moment later one of the ladies turned towards Sydney and Vaughn and smiled.  
  
"Good morning. My name is Jessica, and this is Sara. We'll be working with you today. If you'll come with us, we'll let you get undressed before we start."   
  
They were lead down a short hallway and through one of the doors at the end. Jessica gave them a few short instructions and closed the door behind them.  
  
The room was softly lit, with pale blue walls and a ceiling fan overhead. Along the walls stood small thin tables with brightly lit candles, emitting a light floral scent. One such table also held rows of oils and other various things. Two padded massage tables took up the center of the room with plenty of space around them. Each had a fitted bed sheet covering the table, with another folded bed sheet resting on top. A separate padded headrest was attached at the ends, a hole in each for their faces to rest comfortably. The only difference between the two was a larger hole in the upper half of the one farthest from the door.   
  
Sydney soon realized that hole was meant for her. She had yet to think about how her belly would play into the massage, but apparently it wouldn't be a problem. Except for perhaps getting up on the table. The tables were about waist high for the ease of the massage therapist.   
  
Silently they both started to undress, and laid their folded clothes on a chair in the corner of the room. Without asking, Vaughn helped her up on the table, his hands firmly planted either side of her waist, gently lifting her. Taking the folded bed sheet, he helped her lay down on her stomach, but allowing the belly to fall through the opening. Once settled, he covered her with the sheet, up to her waist.   
  
"Everything okay?" he asked.   
  
She turned her head towards him and smiled. "Yeah, the belly feels like it's pulling everything down, but at least the pressure is off my back."   
  
Giving her a quick kiss on her forehead, he turned and maneuvered himself on the second table, pulling the sheet over him. A few minutes passed in silence before Jessica and Sara returned.   
  
They were given the choice of music, oils and types of massage to which Sydney responded, "As much as time allows."   
  
Within the first few minutes of having Jessica work on her, she was in heaven. She had started on her upper back and shoulder area, and already Sydney felt the stress of her life melt away. Each stroke was slow and deep, her fingers sliding over the skin in a soothing manner. The oils let off a sweet scent and left Sydney's skin feeling very soft and smooth. As Jessica's skillful hands traveled down her back, small knots were encountered, attesting to everything her body had been through in the past several years. The massage was long overdue, and it was amazing she hadn't fallen apart earlier.   
  
The hour went by surprisingly slow, due to the peaceful environment and calming music. They had chosen a soft Celtic cd that was slowly lulling Sydney to sleep. After Jessica had massaged her back, and moved down to her calves and feet, Sydney was gone. Asleep in blissful ignorance of the world around her, and the movement at hand.   
  
At the end of the hour, Vaughn bent down next to Sydney, rubbing her shoulder in an effort to wake her. Receiving no response, he made a trail of kisses from her shoulder down her arm where he interlaced their fingers. A few moments later, she started to stir, her eyes blinking rapidly as she was greeted with the sight of the carpeted floor beneath her. Unable to look at Vaughn once she remembered where she was, she pushed herself up on her elbows, turning her head to glance at him.   
  
She smiled, and then yawned, letting out a small laugh afterwards. "Oops. Guess I fell asleep."   
  
He stood to help her up, carefully extricating her belly from the table. Turning around, he went and picked up their clothing. Handing it over to her, he reassured her, "Don't worry. There's plenty of time to have another one this week."   
  
Her face lit up, and he smiled. "Oh, I would love to have one before we leave. I'm sure my back's going to be killing me by the end of the week."   
  
Vaughn nodded and held out a hand to help her off the table. They quickly got dressed, and walked back to the front sitting area. There they made an appointment for Friday afternoon, and decided to take a walk before lunchtime.   
  
As they made their way out to the walking trail, she held his hand in hers tightly, swinging it slowly. "I feel incredible. I wish I could have a massage daily."   
  
"I'm not sure they'd allow that. The other guests should have a shot at it."   
  
Sydney shook her head. "Oh, I know that. But after running around the world in high heels, I would love to have one at least once a month. Do you think the CIA would pay for that?"   
  
"I doubt it."   
  
"I think it's the least that I deserve."   
  
"Of that, I have no doubt. But unless you write it off as a business expense somehow and get it by without their knowledge, or perhaps persuade Dixon, I don't see how you could get them to approve it. We're pretty lucky to be here for a week."   
  
Sydney sighed, staring out at the gardens that she hadn't seen in the dark the night before. It was gorgeous. Of course, if it wasn't for having Vaughn there, she might not have appreciated the beauty. She knew that she had to take advantage of this rare vacation, and time to relax. Vaughn was right. The CIA wasn't too keen on going easy on them, allowing them such luxuries as massages. All they got was excellent health coverage.  
  
"So, do you have to check in with Dixon while we're here?" she asked, changing the subject to the real reason why they were there.   
  
Vaughn nodded, squeezing her hand. He knew she was hurting because of her life, and how the CIA ruled it. "I'll check in with him after we talk with Sullivan, but otherwise I just check my phone for any message every day at noon and evening."   
  
Glancing at her watch, seeing that it was quarter till, she suggested, "Why don't we make our way back so we can get that done with? Then we'll have lunch, and maybe we can go lounge outside."   
  
"Sounds great," he replied, giving her a big smile.   
  
Once they returned to their room, Sydney went off to the bathroom while Vaughn checked his phone messages. The first message was from Eric who had just found out the truth. Eric wasn't happy that he was the last to know, but he wished him luck with Sydney, knowing this was exactly what the two of them needed.   
  
_"I sure hope you told her early though, because I told her to be cranky and make you miserable this week. Sorry. But you kinda deserved it. Or at least I thought you did."_  
  
Vaughn was grinning, laughing at his best friend. He knew Eric had the best intentions, and would do anything for either of them, but he didn't blame him for wanting to kick his ass for his actions over the past few months.   
  
The smile slide off his face, and his skin paled at the sound of the next message. Sydney chose that moment to come into the room and stood by his side worried.   
  
"Who was it?"   
  
"Lauren."   
  
TBC... 


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Thanks for hanging in there! Reviews keep me going, so thanks! Enjoy the next chapter and I hope to update soon! It's still fluff/angst right now, but plot will be coming!  
  
**Chapter 9**  
  
"Who was it?"   
  
"Lauren."   
  
Sydney inhaled sharply and held her hand out to steady herself, bracing against the closest wall. In one steady swoop, her blissful and relaxed mood had come crashing down. Inwardly, she wanted to laugh at herself for believing it could all happen so easily. There was still someone else in the picture, no matter Vaughn's words and feelings.   
  
"Does she know we're here?"   
  
Vaughn shook his head. "No. She just called to say that she'll try to be home Friday evening. She's going to cut out a little early from the conference."   
  
"She's not going to run, is she?"   
  
"She can't."   
  
Sydney blinked and looked at him, puzzled. "Why?" Keeping an eye on him, she moved to the bed a few feet away and sat down. Vaughn followed her, sitting to her right, and grabbed her hand. Both held onto each other tightly, needing the physical contact when everything else was so shaky in their lives.   
  
"Because of this mission, in case she got wind of it, we have agents watching her every move this week. Once we talk to Sullivan and pass on the Intel, it will be processed and the take down is scheduled for Friday. She'll be taken into custody before she leaves Washington in the event she is warned."   
  
She nodded slowly, then paused. Turning towards him, her eyes big and scared, she whispered, "And what if the Intel doesn't work out?"   
  
Giving her a small smile, he brushed some hair from her face. "Don't worry, Syd. We're still taking her in. Dixon decided that we have enough on her. Since she's our only inside link to the Covenant, we believe we'll get more out of her through interrogation than trying slowly to go through other means. But I trust this Intel. It's going to happen."  
  
Breathing a sigh of relief, she leaned against him, her head coming to rest on his shoulder. His left arm wrapped around her, hugging her tightly.   
  
"It's over, then?" she asked softly.   
  
Kissing her gently on her forehead, he whispered in confirmation, "It's over."   
  


-----

  
With a sigh, Sydney closed the book she had been trying to read for the past hour. As much as she had looked forward to lounging on the poolside and reading, the heat had become unbearable. Inwardly groaning, she pushed herself up to a sitting position, and swung her feet to the side of the chaise lounge. She gazed at her surroundings in appreciation and smiled. Despite the heat, it was still a beautiful spa and the outside was just as gorgeous as the inside.   
  
There were palm trees lining the pool deck, and every tropical flower one could imagine in gardens all over the property. Shades of pink, red, and purple highlighted the green foliage making the scene more like a Caribbean island than the Arizona desert.   
  
Of course, the scenery was also gorgeous because of a certain green-eyed man sitting next to her. Her eyes swept over him in appreciation as she took a swig of water from her water bottle. Noticing the sudden attention, Vaughn dropped the book he'd been reading onto his lap, and returned her stare.   
  
"See something you like?" he teased, and although he wore sunglasses, she knew his eyes were bright and probably laughing at her. She didn't mind.   
  
"Maybe."   
  
He scooted to the side of his chair and waved her over. "Come' ere."   
  
Sydney shook her head and Vaughn frowned. She smiled apologetically and waved her nearly empty water bottle. "Sorry, I was just about to…"  
  
A low chuckle rumbled from his throat. "You know, you're blending in quite well around here. How many trips does that make for this afternoon?"   
  
"Hey! If it weren't so hot, I wouldn't be drinking so much water and making so many trips. I don't know if I've felt this hot since a mission to the Middle East. It's amazing how thirty pounds can make the difference between sweating and dying from heat stroke."   
  
"You could always take a swim," he suggested, glancing out to the pool in front of them. Currently a couple women were taking advantage of it, one swimming laps, and the other sitting on the steps.   
  
Sydney followed his line of sight, and admitted that it did look good. The crystal blue water was sparkling under the sunlight, screaming to her overheated body. However she shook her head, explaining, "I'm not in the mood to change clothes, and trust me when I say getting into a swimsuit is not fun. I think I'm just going to take a break inside and cool off. Get some more water."   
  
Turning back to face him, she gave him a small smile. He nodded in understanding and smiled back. With one strong push, she stood up with only a slight bobble. She bent down to catch a quick kiss before her equilibrium decided to send her tumbling onto him.  
  
Vaughn welcomed the tingling sensation, but when he felt her pull away after a few seconds, his hands quickly tugged her body back towards him. His tongue slipped inside, and the two of them danced around, the kiss going from short and sweet to hot and dangerously inappropriate for a public place. Sydney's hands had come to rest on his shoulders to keep herself standing, but his had started to move under her shirt.   
  
He tried to keep his fingers on the skin she could actually feel, but it was hard to resist the full-bodied bulge in a weird, twisted way. There was no baby inside, yet to feel such a thing on her was incredible. He was even tempted to break off their tryst in a need to see and touch her belly. Kiss it like a proud father.   
  
Sydney however, knew better than to keep going because they were headed somewhere they shouldn't go yet. So she softly pulled away from him, her lips warm and swollen. Straightening up, she flashed him a big smile, and said, "See you later."   
  
As she walked away, she had no doubt he was watching her, and she beamed. Things were starting to feel normal again. As normal as her life could be, that is.   
  
Once inside the resort, she walked towards the elevator for the umpteenth that afternoon. While she was getting used to the weight she was caring around, she had decided not to squat in a public restroom, instead opting for the safety of their private bathroom upstairs. It wouldn't do her good to fall flat on her face, or even worse fall backwards in the toilet. Vaughn would have a field day with that one, and if it ever got back to Weiss… Well, she rather that not happen.   
  
She briefly toyed with the idea of changing into a bathing suit and going back to the pool, but then remembered the mist room. It sounded like the perfect solution. There was still plenty of time during the week to enjoy a swim. As she had told Vaughn, she wasn't in the mood to put on a bathing suit because the idea of spandex sticking to her hot skin was less than desirable. However, the idea of goose bumps and a slight chill was enticing.  
  
The actual mist room was nothing like a sauna. Lining each wall was a row of lounge chairs just like the ones by the pool, except with very nice padding. Some were currently in an upright position, while others were down flat. Only one woman occupied the room, asleep in one corner. The room was circulating cool air that had chilled her the moment she walked in.   
  
Like her bathroom, the walls were painted in light blues and pool greens that perfectly matched the cool mood of the room. She almost expected polar bears and penguins to pop out; the cold air was so unexpected after the hot Arizona weather. The chairs alternated blue and green, and she chose a green one in the opposite corner of the other guest. Even if she woke up, Sydney wasn't in a chatty mood where she had to come up with pregnancy stories and commiserate with the other woman. Right now she could only comment on the weight and the back strain.   
  
Laying down, and positioning the back to the height she desired, she let out a breath. While so far the 'mission' had been less than stressful, or even too busy, little things were piling up. The weight and back strain being one, the lack of coffee another. Of course Lauren's phone call hadn't helped the situation.   
  
She almost went so far as to call herself stupid for having pushed Lauren out of the picture so quickly once Vaughn had told her the truth, but she knew better. It was simply her heart acknowledging what had always meant to be. This had just been a wake up call, and alerted them to reality. Being here, it was another world where the CIA and the world of espionage were far from their minds. But they couldn't forget about it completely. There was Lauren and their current lives to think about. This world was only for a week, and then they would return to their hurried lives filled with angst and lies.   
  
However, she was thrilled to go back to a life with Vaughn and less pain. Her life wouldn't be perfect, but it would be happier. Already it was making a mark on her, and she noticed the difference. It was amazing how one person did that to her. Yet she also knew how much pain that one person could cause her too. It was a double-edged sword. Her happiness and her pain rested in his possession.   
  
The past two days had been some of the happiest days of her life, though she couldn't compare them to the time before since they both had been different people then. She would always treasure those memories, but it was almost another life that she looked back on. Things had changed, but they'd learned from what had happened and certainly would never be so trusting again. It had also cemented their relationship.  
  
Sydney paused.   
  
While they had professed their love, was that enough after a two year gap? She knew it would take awhile to process the truth and truly forgive him for all the pain he had caused her, yet she had jumped back in, giving her heart to him once again. Lauren's call had shown her how fragile she really was, how much she relied on him. She didn't know if her heart could live through another loss again.   
  
Had they gone too fast? While they had set boundaries, they had certainly pushed it to the max. Her heart tried to tell her that it was okay, they were finally at home with each other and wouldn't be hurt again, but it was hard to listen after months of disbelief.   
  
Sydney glanced over at the sleeping woman, and she wished she had that life. True she didn't know her and what her life was like, but she wanted a simple life where one fell in love and married, and had a child. Although her life was crazy right now, she knew that life could not be that cruel to her. She had Vaughn back, and they both wanted a family. Maybe she shouldn't worry about how fast they had taken the past two days. They knew time was not on their side.   
  
She would get that life. They would have that family. One day.   
  
And with that thought, she felt her eyelids drop as she smiled and pictured Vaughn holding a baby, letting sleep claim her.   
  


----

  
The gentlest of touches woke Sydney up almost an hour later, with a hand rubbing her shoulder and a pair of lips brushing her forehead. A few days ago she would have reacted badly to anyone waking her, but slowly her subconscious recognized the familiar motions and thankfully associated them with a friendly face. It would not have looked good if she had hit her husband.   
  
She blinked her eyes several times, adjusting to the moderately lit room. Sweeping the room, she noticed two other women had joined her. One had fallen asleep, and the other was reading a book. Though, truth be told, she looked like she hadn't made it very far into her book, and was sleeping as well. Sydney and Vaughn were virtually alone.   
  
Vaughn had been hesitant to wake her, but knew she would regret sleeping away her day. While she probably needed the extra sleep, she at least could sleep at home when a spa was not something she could visit anytime she wanted. That was the downside to their lives. There was no stability, nothing they could truly count on from one day to the next.  
  
Except each other.   
Sydney had been his driving force ever since she had 'died' and come back. Every day he had woken up to a blonde instead of a brunette and that motivated him to get through the day just so that this day could come. And it had. Once again, they could be each other's friend and confidante. They could be there for the other, to help them when their world got too crazy.   
  
He had stared at her sleeping form for several minutes, just enjoying the moment. When this week had finally presented itself, he had almost not believed it to be possible. Could he really have her back? Would he finally be rid of Lauren and all the lies?   
  
Seeing her now, so innocent while sleeping peacefully, he believed it. Fate wasn't against them. They had another chance. There was no way he would let it go. Nor would he let her sleep her way through it! So that's when he finally shook her arm, and gently brushed his lips across her forehead, thanking God he was here with her now.  
  
Sydney was not blind; she saw the look in his eyes. There was no doubt, only love and certainty. How they had managed to stay apart for so long, she didn't know, but she was sure it would last this time. She was lucky to have someone who cared for her this much, and would do anything for her.   
  
"Hey! How'd you find me?"   
  
Vaughn grinned, remembering a similar situation a few years ago. "Well first I looked in our room, then the dining room, and the massage center in case you snuck back for another one."   
  
Sydney opened her mouth in protest, her eyes staring him down. Apparently he hadn't had all his fun today yet. "You didn't."   
  
He laughed, then shook his head. Vaughn was grinning so wide, his cheeks hurt. Sometimes in moments like this, he was amazed at how much he loved her, and had missed her the past few years. "No, I didn't check the last, but I did look in the first two. But then I remembered that you wanted to cool down and…" he paused, then with a flourish of his hands finished, "Here I am."   
  
"So, been enjoying yourself?"   
  
Sydney nodded, then sat up a bit and stretched out her arms. "Yep. I just spent some time thinking, though obviously I fell asleep."   
  
"What were you thinking about?" Vaughn asked, concerned. A few forehead wrinkles replaced his lighter mood from a moment ago. He couldn't help but worry about her constantly. If something was upsetting her, he wanted to know.   
  
"Us."   
  
Vaughn saw a hint of a smile and relaxed. Sometimes he worried for nothing. Like a flip of a switch, he already felt ten times better and decided to tease her again. "Now that's a shocker."   
  
"Someone's self assured." Sydney shot back just as easily.   
  
His face softened, and he carefully replied, "Well, if you're anything like me, you're all I thought about for the past few years."   
  
Sydney fell silent, and looked down at her hands. When she had first put on the ring they'd given her, she'd felt cheated. Now, she wondered just how long until they would make that step. Obviously Vaughn had been waiting for a long time, and he was ready for their relationship to move forward. She, on the other hand, was still reeling from the shock.   
  
"Have we gone too fast?"   
  
Vaughn's head snapped up at her question. He'd watched her turn from happy to almost scared in a few seconds. Scared of what, he hadn't known, but now…  
  
"As much as I understand why we jumped back into it, I just…" she trailed off, unsure how to explain. She didn't want to upset him.  
  
"Forty-eight hours ago, I wasn't happy with you. We weren't getting along and I had planned on ignoring you during this mission. Spending time by myself. If not…well..." She looked back down at her hands, a little sheepish.   
  
"You were going to make me miserable," he filled in. Sydney glanced at him surprised, and he shrugged. "Eric told me in his message."   
  
"He wanted me to play the cranky pregnant wife. He wasn't too keen on you having kids with Lauren."   
  
A look of horror flashed across his face. "Neither am I."   
  
Sighing, he pushed a hand through his hair, then leaned over and took Sydney's hand. "Syd, I don't want you to worry about us. Just know that I'm always going to be here, and I love you. I don't care if you want to wait awhile. I understand. I'm sorry if you feel like I've rushed you. Yes, I've had a long time to envision this week. But truthfully, I never expected it to go as it has. I thought I would be trying to earn your forgiveness or even waiting on you to accept me back. I can't say that I'm not happy about how it turned out though." He cracked a grin and brought her hand to his lips. "I'll do whatever you want."  
  
"Thank you," she replied softly, then smiled at him.   
  
"Now, as for having kids, you're the only one I ever want to have them with. And I think I could handle crankiness. I can't think of any better gift that you could give me than a child. So if nothing else, you're allowed to be cranky and I will not complain."   
  
Sydney raised an eyebrow. "Even with a freezing home, constant whining and numerous trips to the grocery store?"   
  
"Yes…now come on Mommy, we should go enjoy the rest of the day." Vaughn stood up and held out his hands to help her up.   
  
"What do you have in mind, Daddy?" Sydney asked as she gratefully let him pull her up.  
  
"Afternoon tea, a bath, dinner and maybe another walk."   
  
"Sounds perfect."   



	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Hey Everyone! Sorry for making you wait so long. Thanks for hanging in there! I really appreciate all the reviews. My muse has been missing lately, and I finally finished this chapter. I can't guarantee when the next chapter will come, but keep an eye out for new fics! My attention has been wandering and I figure it's better than nothing if I at least write _something!_

Enjoy!

**Chapter 10**

Sydney felt fat.

She was tired and cranky, and really wanted another massage. The first night she had been lucky enough to fall asleep on her side in Vaughn's arms. After last night's restless sleep, she now knew that was the most comfortable position to sleep in. It was unfortunate that it hadn't occurred to her till this morning.

The night before, Vaughn had checked his messages after dinner. There had been one from Dixon with news of Covenant activity on the Mexico border of Arizona. While they had no definitive Intel, it was highly unlikely that the Covenant was there because of them.

However that hadn't stopped Sydney from worrying. During their walk, they had talked things over and decided not to totally disregard anything. On the off chance that the Covenant was there, either for them or David Sullivan, they had to be on alert. They also decided that it was probable that they would infiltrate as employees or delivery personnel. The likelihood of the Covenant coming as guests was slim, yet it was a possibility. New guests arrived daily, and they could easily come in one day and leave the next without staying for the entire week parading around as a pregnant woman like Sydney.

Marshall would tap into the security video feed and the CIA would monitor the resort's surroundings. Sydney and Vaughn would mingle with the guests looking for anyone suspicious. The mission was now top priority and relaxation second. Aside from her relationship with Vaughn, taking down the Covenant was very important to her, and she wouldn't let a vacation distract her. They had taken two years from her, and she wasn't going to let them get away with it.

Needless to say, she hadn't slept well that night. She had tossed and turned as much as she could, trying to fall asleep. But her worries kept her awake - not even the presence of Vaughn next to her helped.

When she woke up this morning, Vaughn practically had to drag her from bed with the promise of a joint shower to get her up. However, since Vaughn had planned on playing golf with some of the men and didn't want to spend all day out in the heat, they had hurried so he could get out as early as possible. Sydney had her facial and pedicure appointment at eleven, so she had plenty of time, but Vaughn had to once again apply the makeup on her belly.

The second time around went much faster, and was definitively less awkward. Though that didn't make up for the fact that she was still tired and sore.

And fat.

-----

Vaughn looked around at the men laughing and talking amidst the clubhouse. They seemed very content and relaxed, glad to have some time on their own. He, on the other hand, was feeling guilty about leaving Sydney alone. She hadn't had the best night of sleep, and the belly was starting to wear her down. But there wasn't anything he could do for her aside from making appointments for a massage every other hour of the day.

He was set to play a round of golf with three other men. He tried to remember the last time he'd played, but couldn't recall any recent time. Whenever he had free time, he played hockey, not golf. Besides, Eric said that as long as he was being dragged into playing a sport, he might as well play hockey and burn off some calories instead of riding around in a golf cart. That and they needed two other people to finish off a foursome.

Honestly the last time he had even held a club was during a meet with Sydney at a driving range. He sure hoped he wouldn't look like an idiot today.

An hour later, Vaughn found himself at the fourth hole. He wasn't doing too badly, considering it had been years since he had played. But his mind wasn't on his golf game; instead he was listening and observing the three men he played with. Two of them, Brian and Nathan had struck up an instant conversation, discussing their wives and swapping pregnancy horror stories. Already Vaughn was getting scared of the real thing. Andrew however was quiet, only joining in at the appropriate times with small bits of information. He had a wife named Susan, and they were having their first child. Brian and Nathan both had one kid previously.

While Vaughn had no real stories to tell, he had plenty to talk about his 'wife' in general. He watched Andrew closely, suspicious of his quiet nature, but quickly gave the man some credit for not wanting to talk since he himself wasn't sharing much either. Yet when they sat down for lunch at the bar at the clubhouse after the game, he noticed Andrew watching everyone, and still not talking. Vaughn tried to reason that there could by any number of reasons, but with the news of the Covenant activity, he was on high alert for anyone suspicious. So he stayed a bit longer, had a couple drinks, talked with some other men and kept an eye on Andrew. His manner didn't change, and if anything, Andrew became more suspicious as he wandered the room, drifting from one conversation to the next, listening in.

When the room started to clear out, Andrew included, Vaughn left to go find Sydney. He knew she wouldn't be happy to hear his findings, but they had to check him out. Besides, if he left her by herself any longer, she might drop her cover and it wouldn't matter if Andrew was Covenant or not.

-----

Sydney had tried to put aside her worries during her facial and pedicure, but exhaustion took over. She was starting to feel guilty for falling asleep during everything, but the end results were still rewarding. At least that's what she thought until she stood up afterwards.

She couldn't see her toes.

Her bright candy apple red toes that she thought would be so cute – she couldn't see. And her day didn't get any better when she sat down to lunch at a table with some other women. Conversation wasn't about clothes, the spa, or even the weather. No they discussed swollen feet, tender breasts, and the pain of childbirth.

She was already convinced to take the drugs.

"_Is this your first?"_

_Sydney nodded. The ladies looked at each other knowingly and smiled. It was almost as if they were laughing at her. Was she really that obvious?_

"_You look excellent. How much have you gained?" The lady to the left of her asked._

"_Thirty pounds."_

"_Incredible. You must work out a ton. Something I've never been able to do, pregnant or not. I'm carrying thirty-eight pounds right now, which is better than the forty-five I carried with my first. And trust me, it takes forever to get it off, if you can. I have yet to know anyone who could."_

"_Unless you're a movie star who can afford a personal trainer who makes you work out everyday," a lady to the right of her commented._

_A young red head, who looked like one of the few who hadn't had a kid before asked, "Why pay one if you can do it on your own?"_

"_Who's saying it's just the trainer? You have to pay someone to babysit too! I tried to work out after my first, but I gave up. There was no time."_

"_It's too bad you can't keep the weight gain in the breast. What I would give to stay one cup size bigger. Too bad I can't enjoy them now, they're so tender. And then the baby comes and sucks them right off you. Not to mention the pain."_

_Waving her hand wildly, a lady at the end of the table stepped in, "Oh, that pain's nothing. After childbirth, the breastfeeding was a breeze. Longer time span, but I'd take it any day over pushing the kid out in the first place! I've learned my lesson – no more au naturel. I'm having the epidural. Shoot me up, I say. A prick in the back is worth it."_

"_But there are some risks. I knew a friend who had back complications after she had one. It was inserted wrong, I think. Or hit something in her back."_

"_I'll take the risk. This must be your first. Just wait and see, then you'll want the drugs after it's too late."_

"_I heard that they came up with an epidural that you can take later."_

"_Enough. I'm in enough pain right now that I don't want to think about what's coming up. My feet are so swollen that I can barely walk, and every shoe I wear feels like I'm going to lose circulation."_

"_Have you tried flip-flops? They've come out with soft squishy ones, and fabric too. Of course if your toes don't like them, they won't help you either. But so far, they've been a lifesaver for me. I nearly died during the winter during my first pregnancy. I finally had to wear boots two sizes too big for me, and even though I was swimming in them, I was able to walk without too much pain."_

It had gone on and on. Every single lady at the table had piped in, and Sydney was convinced they were all speaking the truth. There was no one there faking a pregnancy besides her. The horror stories had almost been enough for Sydney to never want to have a baby. Except having a child far outweighed the pain of pregnancy and childbirth. If she could handle torture, then she could handle labor. Besides, she knew it would end unlike torture.

Thankfully the stories had ended as well. They had chatted in the dining room well beyond lunch time, and finally she escaped to her room. While she hadn't talked to every woman at the spa, she had no desire to sit through any more stories. She simply would observe them without getting personal. Taking a book with her, Sydney found a comfy chair in the lobby that gave her a good view of people coming and going and others sitting around her.

She made a point to watch how the women walked. Only a few days in, she already understood how the weight affected one's posture. Apparently Rob from wardrobe had been right in having her wear the thirty pounds. She may not have swollen feet, but Sydney knew that she wasn't walking like a spring chicken either.

After reading a mere five pages of her book several times over, Sydney decided to call it quits. She never liked surveillance anyway; rather she enjoyed the adrenaline pumping through her as she went on a mission. If she was going to observe the guests, then she was going to do it on her terms.

-----

_My terms, yeah right,_ Sydney thought as she tugged the swimsuit over her stomach. She had decided to spend some more time out poolside with the intent on actually getting in the pool this time. Unfortunately that meant putting on the bathing suit. For once she'd rather have the skimpy bikini of her other missions. And she doubted Vaughn would protest.

Of course, it still was an option...one that really sounded good. Maybe she could find a mall nearby. It was a thought, she grinned to herself as she wrapped a mesh robe around her waist.

Once outside, she quickly found an empty lounge chair and dumped her stuff. Off came the robe and her flip-flops. It was now or never, Sydney thought as she made her way to the pool. At least it would cool her down.

There were only a couple women in the pool, sitting on a ledge chatting away, looking very comfortable in the water. Calmly Sydney entered the pool, the water instantly cooling her off. A bit too cool, actually. Knowing she had to submerge herself quickly or she'd freeze, she lowered the rest of her body, finally diving beneath the surface. Not allowing herself a minute's rest, she began a slow stroke across the pool. It was awkward with the extra weight pulling her down, making it more difficult to cleanly cut through the water.

While she had yearned for the vacation and time off, the exercise was just what she needed. Normally she would have gone running to keep active, but that was obviously out of the question. The past few days had been so sedentary and she had been itching to do just about anything...which meant breaking down and finally wearing the dreaded swimsuit.

And getting out of it. She was ready to tear it off an hour later when she had to go to the rest room. A dry bathing suit was one thing...a wet one was another.

The sight of Vaughn leaning over her shortly thereafter was the saving grace to her day. He created a nice cool shadow over her body, giving her some much needed shade from the sun as she looked up to his towering figure. He was being far from obvious as he looked her over and a grin played over his face. Yep, she bet he wouldn't mind a bikini. She had to look into it later.

"Hey," he greeted her with a grin.

Sydney brought up a hand to shield her eyes and grinned back. "Hey!"

"Had enough sun yet?" he asked, then casually looked around at the people milling around.

She understood right away that he needed to talk in private and nodded. Guess it was time to leave and face her demons. It had to come off eventually. Maybe she could get another joint shower out of him at the same time. Taking the hand he held out for her, she stood up and quickly tied the mesh robe around her and gathered her belongings. With a quick kiss on her cheek, and his hand resting on the small of her back, they made their way back to their room.

Once inside and the door had firmly shut behind them, Vaughn was tugging Sydney by her wrist to the couch in the middle of the room. While the desire was building within him every moment he looked at her, remembering the sight of her laying outside, he had to stop himself from forgetting the mission and taking her in his arms and kissing her senseless. It was so tempting as the sash to her robe had fallen to the side, allowing the robe to open just enough and give him an eyeful. Sure the bathing suit covered her, but it clung to her new curves and he couldn't help but remember the feel of her body under his fingertips.

Warning bells began to go off in his head as his senses mentally replayed every moment and the touch of her hand in his at the moment was enough to send him to a place he couldn't afford to go. Taking a deep breath, he tried to clear his mind as he glanced at her face and smiled. She was looking at him curiously, a little worried at his silence. It was probably good that she hadn't seen how her appearance affected him, but now he had to calm down and make sure nothing did happen.

Sydney watched his face as they sat down, the rise in color in his cheeks, the forehead wrinkle, and finally as his eyes matched hers and he smiled. She wasn't blind, she knew what was going through his mind, but it was rather funny to watch him try to suppress it. Finally with a deep breath, it looked like they might have the conversation they had come here for.

"There...there might be someone here," he hesitated as he revealed his suspicions. Keeping his eyes on her, he tried to gauge her reaction while keeping his hand firmly around hers.

Sydney was a great actor, and even better at keeping her thoughts and emotions locked away, but she couldn't hide them from Vaughn. He saw the flicker of fear in her eyes. The same thing that was going through her head had gone through his all afternoon as he tried to reason with the possibilities of another agent at the resort. He didn't want the mission to fail.

He didn't want to lose her.

But hadn't he told her that no matter what, they were taking Lauren in? Then why did it seem the opposite? Deep down, there was the all too real knowledge that they might not. He would still have to stay married to Lauren, and hurt Sydney even more in the process.

And he was determined to never hurt her again.

"I'm suspicious of one of the men I played golf with today. He barely talked about himself or his wife. I continued to watch him at the bar afterwards. He drifted around, listening in on everyone's conversations. I don't trust him. I know it's not much to go on, but I'm not willing to risk anything concerning this mission – or you."

Sydney nodded as he talked, her analytical mind taking in what he was saying and trying to plan what needed to be done - but one comment stood out.

"Wait a minute – are you telling me that after playing golf, you spent your afternoon at a bar, having drinks?"

Vaughn looked at her a little confused. He thought she would be worried about Andrew, not the fact that he'd been at a bar. Technically, the bar of a restaurant.

"Well yeah, I had lunch too. If I didn't hang around, how was I supposed to observe the guys?"

With a huff, Sydney stood up and paced the room. Stopping to face him, she glared at his bewildered face. "I bet you're having fun."

"What? Syd-"

She shook her head quickly and continued, "Here you are, probably laughing and having a grand old time with the guys, drinking beer and telling stories about your poor fat wives! Do you know what I've gone through today? I mean, really? I've been deprived of my caffeine, which I get to watch you drink and now alcohol as well, and I'm stuck waddling around with thirty pounds of...of who knows what on my stomach, listening to women talk about swollen feet, tender breasts, and the pain of childbirth! And to top it off, I can't see my toes!"

Vaughn looked down at her toes, noticing they were now red. "They look nice," he commented.

"Well I'm glad you think so! Because I can't see them!"

Although he knew he would get his head bitten off, Vaughn couldn't help but ask, "Did you at least enjoy your facial?"

Sydney sighed and plopped back down on the couch next to him. "Yes, but you don't get it. This week was supposed to be a vacation for me, and a pedicure was supposed to be part of that. But I can't even enjoy it."

"Why not get a manicure instead?" he softly suggested.

She shook her head violently. "No. I never have manicures."

Vaughn looked at her puzzled, "Why not?" Taking her left hand in his, he kissed it gently and gave her a smile. He was there for her, and he wanted to understand.

"Because they never last. Unfortunately in the spy world, nails break, and don't even get me started on having to match with every costume I end up wearing. That's why I treat myself with pedicures."

"But you could enjoy a manicure this week," he pointed out.

"I know I could, and I might," she agreed and gave him a weak smile. "I'm sorry...I just didn't get a good night sleep, and after hearing all the horror stories today, I just couldn't handle anything else. I didn't mean to get angry with you."

"Hey, it's okay. I know this week hasn't been ideal, and I really wish you could take a break with the belly. But it'll be over before you know it. For now though, we have to push it all aside and concentrate on the mission."

Sydney nodded, took a deep breath, and gave him a big smile. "You're right. We need to find out more about this guy. We can't go in to the meet tomorrow without knowing for sure that he's not Covenant."

"I was thinking about searching his room. But we have to figure out where he's staying first. I'm not sure we should talk to Sullivan about this and worry him."

"Marshall can probably help us out. You know his name, right?"

"Well his first name is Andrew, but I didn't catch a last name. His wife is Susan. I'm sure we can find their room with that combination - especially considering they cater to the wives. They'll have her name down as well."

"Good. You go call Marshall while I take a shower and change. I want to get this done as quickly as possible," she said, standing and turning towards the bedroom and bathroom.

Vaughn turned his upper body to follow her. "Wait, we don't even know if we can get in their room right now – they could be there."

"Then have Marshall go through the security footage and see if they're gone. There's a Luau tonight, and for once, I want to attend a party and enjoy it without sneaking off to steal something!"

"Luau?"

Sydney walked back to the couch and leaned against the back. "Yeah, didn't you see the signs around the lobby? It's going to be poolside with food, music, and all sorts of fun. I'm not missing it."

"What time is it at?"

"Nine o'clock."

"I'm sure they'll be out of their room between now and then. I promise you we won't miss it."

"Great. I'm going to go see if I can peel this off now." She tugged at the bathing suit a bit, thankful that it was dry now.

Vaughn reached up and gently pushed the robe off her right shoulder. Slowly he pulled the strap of her bathing suit down and ran his thumb up and down her arm, eliciting a wide smile from Sydney.

"Want help?"

"Always," she quipped, grinning. "But you need to call Marshall."

He pouted, earning him a laugh. "You can join me once you're done though..." she called over her shoulder as she finally walked away.

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: **Sorry it's been so long guys! I really did not mean to take so long to update! Good news – my muse is back and I hope to write on a more regular schedule.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the songs! (I'll list at the end, I don't want to spoil!) When you see '/ ' at the beginning of a paragraph, please go here: www. lightfantastic. org / imr / extras / av / hemelenolilo . html (without spaces...obviously!) to help the mood along.

Thanks to my betas, who have helped me from the beginning and nudged me forward with each chapter.

Enjoy!

**Chapter 11**

"Just because I can't see my toes does _not_ mean I can't see a lock!" Sydney hissed at Vaughn as they stood outside the Morgans' room. At present Vaughn was working on the traditional hotel electronic card reader with one of Marshall's devices. Though he had known the mission was simply to decrypt the disk, he had brought along the standard set of op tech.

"I never implied that, Syd. But who says you get to have all the fun?" With a beep, the green light flashed and Vaughn grinned at her. He opened the door and held it open, motioning her to go on in first.

Marshall had gone through the resort's guest list looking for Andrew and Susan, coming up with the Morgans, in room 310. After going through hallway video feeds, he assured them the room would be empty, and now Vaughn and Sydney had to search the room before the couple returned. Keeping an eye on the hallways, Marshall would alert them if the Morgans were on their way back.

Sydney moved through the room, a suite similar to theirs, except done in blue and purple instead of blue and green. The living room was clean, with nothing littering any surface; however the bedroom was anything but clean. Clothes were strewn about, both his and hers. And it wasn't the type of clothing tossed aside when trying to decide what to wear – they were thrown on the floor in every direction.

"Either they were having some fun, or they really don't like their clothes," Sydney commented, glancing at Vaughn as they stood next to each other observing the room.

He smirked, then turned to go through the suitcases that were against one wall. What was he supposed to say when he wished they were the ones having some fun? Three days with her, and the truth out in the open, he was almost ready to say the heck with waiting and the belly, and finally _be with her_ once again. But he knew she wanted to take things slow, and do things right this time. They knew they loved each other, and there was no doubt that they were together 'till death do us part,' even without the vows – however they were going to enjoy the opportunity to date and try to be a normal couple.

Mentally he sighed. As normal a couple as they could try to be. He was technically still married, though the papers for annulment had been ready since he said 'I do.' Things would still be awkward once they got back to L.A. This week was only a step towards getting their life back in order. Pain on both their parts still had to be talked through before they could truly move on without veiled anger and resentment.

_And now was not the time to be dwelling on any of it_, he realized as he felt along the inside of the suitcases looking for hidden compartments. He knew of all types of places to hide stuff, having gone through all of Lauren's stuff several times over. The suitcase was her favorite place, which Vaughn found amusing. He hid anything of importance outside their home so she would never find anything. Only carefully controlled Intel was allowed to reach Lauren's attention.

Finding nothing in the suitcases, he moved on to the dresser. Out of the corner of his eye, he tracked Sydney's progress. She had started with the closet, and currently she was grimacing.

"Find something?"

Sydney shook her head. "No, just evidence of why I won't be sparing any expense when I'm pregnant."

Vaughn looked up at her confused.

Sydney held out a muted floral dress that was seriously out of date. "Are you sure it's her first baby? These clothes look old, and might I add – ugly. Maternity clothes have come a way, I know that much."

"Maybe they're hand-me-downs from a friend or relative."

"Which points to her really being pregnant. I bought new clothes for this mission, and so would a Covenant operative."

He sighed. "You're right. I'm not finding anything either. But let's not give up right away. Why don't you go through the bathroom while I finish up here?"

Nodding her agreement, Sydney put the dress back wondering what a couple would be doing at an expensive spa and resort when they scrimped on clothing. Unless they were really cheap on certain things, she reasoned. Or felt pressured to borrow the clothes in the first place. She was lucky that half her maternity wardrobe was already furnished by the CIA because of this mission.

Sydney didn't know if it would make her feel better if they found anything incriminating since it would confirm their suspicions, but on the other hand she didn't want her vacation ruined by the presence of the Covenant. If nothing was found, then they were still left to wonder if they had the wrong people. They had a great big 'what now?' to deal with no matter the consequence of this search.

In the bathroom, she started to search through the drawers and toiletry bags. There was the usual makeup, toothbrush and paste, earrings, hairbrush, etc. She found no evidence of birth control, though she knew that didn't mean anything since the doctor had given her a shot. Any good agent knew how to get around the daily pill. Everything she came across was expected, at least for a civilian, and most certainly a female. However upon feeling for anything that had dropped behind the drawer – accidentally or purposely- her fingers grasped a small tube. Extracting it, she pulled it out to light and blanched. Sydney quickly dropped the offending item back in the drawer, not giving another glance to the rest of the bathroom and marched out.

A million and one thoughts swirled through her head, and panic coursed through her as she glanced around the room. Her sight settled on Vaughn, and while he normally calmed her, his presence at the moment did nothing for her fear. What had she been thinking, being so free and open to his words and touch this week? He was still married for crying out loud! Last week she had been mad at him! They had moved too fast this week. She had let her guard down because it was him. For the past several months, all she had wanted was him. The answers to her missing years weren't as important as having him by her side. If she had come back to find Vaughn waiting for her, it would have been manageable.

And now? Well, now they had to get through this week and have a serious talk when it was all over. She wasn't so sure she was ready to jump back into things, or at least the speed at which they had discussed. However, now was also not the time to be internally debating her love life so she focused her attention back on the mission.

"She's real. Let's go. Oh and you can forget about ever having kids."

Vaughn had just knelt beside the bed, his head currently hidden underneath when she came out and made her announcement. Her presence hadn't exactly startled him, but he hadn't been expecting those words. "What!" he exclaimed, quickly disentangling from the comforter that had somehow twisted around him and promptly hit his head on the bed frame.

"OW!" He sat up, threw the comforter aside and started rubbing his head as he looked up at her for an explanation.

Sydney paid him little attention as she clarified, "If the clothes and worn out shoes didn't convince me that she's pregnant, her toiletries did."

"Her toiletries? I don't get it. What did you find?"

"Hemorrhoid cream."

Vaughn paused, stared at her a bit perplexed and slowly repeated, "Hemorrhoid cream? I don't get it. What's the significance? I mean, that's not exclusive to a pregnant woman."

"It was well worn and half empty. I don't think I need to spell out the particulars here, Vaughn. She's really pregnant. Besides, you should see how many products she has just for her feet! Creams, salts, special socks…"

He waved her off. "Okay, okay. I get the point. But what was that comment about not having kids? It can't just be because of all of this."

"Maybe I'm not ready for all of this."

"Syd, you're not pregnant. You don't have to be ready at this moment."

"But all we've talked about this week was about having kids! It seems you're ready for them now! Of course, you've also known for the past year that this was all a sham! I had no clue! In a few days I've gone from hating you to planning our future children!"

"I'm not saying we have to have kids right away! It was just harmless fun, Syd. You can't tell me that you've never thought about what our kids would be like."

Sydney didn't say anything, walking over to the bed and sitting down. Vaughn kneeled in front of her, taking her hands in his. In a soothing motion, he rubbed his thumbs against the palm of her hands.

"Look, Sydney, I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I couldn't tell you. I'm sorry that you spent all this time in pain, hating me, and I feel bad that you felt pressured this week. I didn't mean for that to happen. I know I had an unfair advantage knowing the truth all along, but I don't want that to come between us. I told you before – I will go as slow as you want and wait 'til you are ready." He paused and looked into her eyes. They were red rimmed, and wet. Already a few tears had escaped, making trails down her cheeks.

"Please, Sydney. Don't give up on us," he begged her.

Shaking slightly, Sydney took one hand from his grasp, and wiped away her tears. Then without warning, she and some added bulk flung themselves at him. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she kissed his forehead then moved down to his lips. At first it was soft and gentle but soon it escalated until their tongues were dueling and they could not breathe. Breaking apart, Vaughn moved down her neck, nipping at her silky skin. In his ear he could hear and feel her heavy breathing.

"Never," she whispered, laying her head against the curve of his neck.

Vaughn wrapped his arms around her, rubbing circles on her back. He sighed softly, inhaling the sweet scent of her hair.

The shrill of a cell phone broke their silence, and reluctantly they separated realizing that it wasn't the best idea to stay in the room anyway. Vaughn flipped his phone open after checking the number.

"Are they coming?" he asked without pause.

"Oh! Hey! Well I see them passing through the lobby, so they're probably on their way, unless they stop to talk or maybe pop in the gift shop. Makes you wonder what they sell at a gift shop for a spa, doesn't it? I mean, it's not an amusement park where you'd buy souvenirs of some mascot or goofy character. Not that I meant Goofy as in the Disney character. I love Goofy though, he's so funny with his antics and-"

"Marshall! We're leaving now, okay? Thanks for your help," Vaughn interrupted his rambling, having no patience to hear the man go on and on when they weren't safe in the room.

"Oh, sure. You're welcome. So, having a good time?" Marshall asked only to be greeted with a dial tone.

Closing his phone, Vaughn relayed Marshall's message, which made Sydney smile. While Marshall could get on your nerves with his rambling nonsensical monologues, he was a sweet man, and she was continually glad that he worked for the good guys now. Standing up, they looked around the room to make sure their presence would not be detected and quietly left the room.

When Vaughn stepped off the elevator at their floor, Sydney hesitated. When she didn't follow him, he turned and looked at her, puzzled.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing…there's something I need to do," she quickly replied and gave him a reassuring smile.

The elevator door started to close, and he put a hand out to stop it. "Do I need to tag along for this mysterious 'something'?"

She blushed and shook her head. "You'll see in a little while."

"Alright…I'll go get ready for tonight. See you later." He leaned in and gave her a quick peck on the cheek before walking down the hallway to their room.

The door closed once again, and Sydney smiled to herself thinking of her task ahead. Marshall's rambling had given her an idea and she hoped it would pan out. As she walked through the lobby, she mentally chastised herself for forgetting the fact that the resort had a gift shop. It had even been on the tour! With their clientele, she was sure they would have what she needed.

As she walked through the open glass doors of the shop, her main objective was pushed aside. On display front and center were Hawaiian shirts. Walking around the rack, she couldn't help but grin. She had to get one for him. After all they were going to a Luau that night and she had already planned on wearing a light floral sundress. She glanced through the shirts, finally deciding on a deep green one that had deep red and blue flowers tastefully integrated with the green foliage that made up the background. It wasn't too bright or obnoxious so hopefully he wouldn't object to wearing it. Personally she thought it would look great on him with his green eyes. Besides, she wasn't going to offer him the choice of whether or not he was wearing it – they had to blend in, right? She chuckled softly and wondered if he would believe that.

An employee came up to her and she gladly handed over the shirt as she walked towards her original destination.

The bikinis.

Granted there were plenty more one piece suits made for pregnant woman than there were tankinis or bikinis, but she was a stubborn woman who had already made up her mind. She was not leaving this shop until she found a two piece bathing suit that fit her and felt comfortable.

Half an hour later, she left with her purchases and a smile stretching across her face. Vaughn had no idea what was about to hit him.

Sydney slipped into the room quietly, observing the steam pouring from the bathroom. She could hear him moving about getting ready so she quickly hid the bikini in the dresser amongst her other clothes. Right as she stood up, the bathroom door opened and he walked out to greet her.

"Hey, I thought I heard the door. So do I get to find out what your mysterious trip was about?" he asked as his hands looped around her waist.

"Maybe."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Maybe?"

She grinned, then pointed her head towards the bed where her other purchase sat. "I got you something."

Vaughn stepped back and walked the few steps towards the bed. Opening the shopping bag, he pulled out the Hawaiian shirt and laughed. "Thanks, but…"

"Hey! It's not that bad, trust me – I saw worse. It's a luau. Have some fun!" Sydney exclaimed, grinning when she still saw hesitation on his face. "I'm not having you wear something outrageous and tacky."

"So should I be thanking you for that? Sparing me even more humiliation?"

Sydney cracked up; the look on his face was priceless. She could only imagine what he had been like as a little boy being dressed up for pictures. "Think about it this way – your torture ends as soon as you take it off tonight, while I'll still be wearing thirty pounds of prosthetic when the night ends."

Instantly, the look on his face changed to guilt which made Sydney feel bad, but it had put things into perspective. One night of corny fun wouldn't hurt his ego too much. At least she hoped not. If he turned out to be the only guy wearing such a shirt, she might have to do a little bit of damage control, but it was unlikely. The gift shop sold the shirts for a reason.

Moving in front of him, her hands on his shoulders, she stood up on tiptoe and gave him a peck on his cheek. "It'll be fun, I promise."

_

* * *

__  
Red, red wine…go to my head, make me forget that I still need her so…  
__Red, red wine…It's up to you, all I can do, I've done…but mem'ries won't go…no, mem'ries won't go…_

Sydney was almost tempted to say this was her favorite mission yet. Of course there were the negatives such as the belly and the underlying tension between her and Vaughn, but things were looking up and she was having fun. Earlier she'd finally got Vaughn to wear the Hawaiian shirt to dinner, and even he would have to admit that he was having fun with the luau theme that night. Dinner had been themed as well with tropical spiced entrees and desserts, while all the waiters were dressed in similar Hawaiian cummerbunds and ties. They had chosen to sit at a group table to talk with more guests since they still had a mission to complete and the more people they talked to, the easier they'd be able to rest knowing there were no Covenant operatives there to infiltrate.

As Sydney had suspected, there were several other men wearing the fun and often wild Hawaiian shirts that evening. Even more came out after dinner at the luau; apparently either a quick buy or they hadn't had the guts to wear them earlier in the evening. It was a great night for the luau, with the temperature dropping slightly - enough to cool them down, but without too much wind. The music was pumping loudly around the pool deck with a small stage set up on one side. A few couples were daring enough to dance to the music, though most of the guests lingered around the buffet tables and lounge chairs talking with one another. Tropical fruits, snacks and desserts covered the tables. Melon carvings and flowers decorated the tables leaving a sweet scent in the air.

Currently she was sipping a non-alcoholic Piña Colada, to which Vaughn had joked that she could no longer call it 'virgin.' He'd received a glare and subsequently allowed her to take a quick sip of his alcoholic version. Leis had been given to everyone as they arrived, and spirits were high as the party went on. She and Vaughn had chatted with several couples, alternatively taking time to snack and talk privately while watching the guests mill around. They were feeling better about the likelihood of any Covenant presence and had relaxed enough to thoroughly enjoy themselves.

The tapping of a mic silenced the crowd as everyone turned to the stage. The activities director, Paul, wearing his own bright Hawaiian shirt stood waiting for all of the chattering to come to a stop.

"Aloha! It looks like everyone's enjoying themselves, so I don't want to interrupt for too long, but we have a special surprise for you all. Now a Luau would not be complete without some fire and hula dancing, right?" He exclaimed, waving his hands around, bringing on cheers from everyone.

Paul sighed, then exaggeratedly bowed his head and shook his head. Looking out at them he apologized, "Well sorry to disappoint you, but we're a small run resort and we don't have the money to hire Hawaiian dancers for our weekly luau."

There were a few groans but it didn't seem to faze him. A small smile crept up on his face. "So here's what we're going to do – can I have three guys volunteer? Anyone?"

Three men in Hawaiian shirts – probably already a bit drunk Sydney suspected – walked up to the stage. Paul clapped them on the back, asking their names. "So you guys like fire? I bet you're the guys that use more lighter fluid than you need when you barbecue just so you can have a big flame, am I right?"

The crowd chuckled as one guy nodded sheepishly and the other two men backed away quickly.

Paul bowed his head again, and frowned at the guys. "Well sorry to disappoint you guys again, but our insurance doesn't exactly cover us to play with fire either. Now, we know this vacation is really for the women, right?" The men nodded. "Okay, so you guys are going to be the entertainment. That means hula dancing."

Another employee came up to the stage and handed each guy a grass skirt earning several whistles and a round of laughs. The guys held the skirts out, blushing, but finally after some urging from Paul, they put them on. Sydney almost wished she had sent Vaughn up there to see him wiggle his hips.

"Okay, so let's give it a try guys." Paul stood off to the side and slowly started to move his hips in a circle. _"Ole ole - ole ole… we're feeling,"_ he sang out then bopped his hips side to side with each word, _"Hot! Hot! Hot!"_

The crowd roared with laughter thereby making each guy freeze on stage. Paul started singing again, moving his hips, waving at the crowd to sing with him. They chanted with him loudly, **_"Hot! Hot! Hot!"_**

One by one, the guys started moving their hips and everyone cheered. After a few rounds, Paul clapped his hands then motioned for the guys to stop. "Now that you got the hang of it, let's put on some real music and I want to see some arm action too!"

/ Hawaiian chanting came on the loud speakers and reluctantly the guys started dancing, their arms flaying wildly.

_Mahalo nui ia ke alii wahine  
O Liliulani o ka wo hi ku  
Ka pipio mai o ke anuenue na waiho'o  
lu'u a halikeole'e  
E nana na maka i ke ao malama mai  
Hawaii akea i Kauai_

Everyone started clapping and swaying their hips to the music as well. Even Sydney, who'd been grinning the entire time, laughing at the guys' antics, started dancing slowly. The music was intoxicating with the chanting and the beat that had started after the first verse. Vaughn watched her with a smile on his face, happy to see her so relaxed, and having fun. It was a switch compared to the pain he'd seen on her face over the months no matter how hard she tried to hide it.

"How about a story you guys? Hula dancing tells a story!" Paul prompted them on over the din of the music.

The guy who'd admitted to using the lighter fluid heavily started to mimic _'Itsy Bitsy Spider'_ with his hands, keeping his hips moving at the same time. Paul bent over laughing on the stage and cried out, "Someone knows his children's stories!" Not to be left out, the other two men started mimicking anything they could think of eliciting even more laughter.

Sydney's attention however was pulled from the stage when Vaughn touched her shoulder and pointed out a man walking through the crowd towards the back.

"That's Andrew Morgan," he whispered. They watched him walk up to David Sullivan and exchange a few words. Glancing at each other worried, they quickly walked towards the men when David turned and led Andrew back to the resort. Sydney and Vaughn dumped their drinks on a cart nearby and followed them.

Once back inside, they observed David and Andrew walking through a door in the back of the lobby. Staying back far enough not to arouse suspicion, they went to check the door and found it locked.

"I don't have anything to pick a lock!" Sydney hissed.

"Everything's upstairs," Vaughn replied then looked around the deserted lobby area. Thankfully everyone was at the luau. "According to the blueprints I checked over before we came, this door is just a private entrance to the office area. We can still gain access from the front desk."

Sydney quickly walked over to a sofa and sat down, pulling her shoes off and handed them to Vaughn. Her lei followed.

Vaughn looked at her confused, "What are you doing?"

"Well we have to get in. Make sure David's not in trouble, or that our mission is compromised. What else do you think I'm doing? I'm as sure as heck not going in these shoes where I'm liable to trip over my own feet or make noise."

"I'm not so sure about this," he argued, pointedly looking at her belly then back at her eyes.

Sydney stood up and stared back at him. "I can handle this." She glanced over at the front desk where an employee manned it. "I'm going to need a distraction."

"Syd…" Vaughn grabbed her hand and they paused gazing at each other.

Giving him a small smile, she placated, "When it's the real thing, I promise to stay at home and away from terrorists."

Cupping his hand on her cheek and kissing her on her forehead, he quietly replied, "You have five minutes before I'm coming in after you." She nodded then stepped back allowing him to go first.

Vaughn walked up to the desk and caught the lady's attention. "Excuse me, my wife needs to go to a mall tomorrow. Where can I find one?"

As the employee started directing him, Vaughn pointed out to the front door verifying which way to go, forcing the lady to turn her back towards the office door behind the desk. Crouching low, Sydney snuck behind the desk and through the open door that led to the back offices.

It was quiet and empty in the back, making it easy to hear the murmur of voices coming from one office in particular. David's office had windows to the hallway, but blinds prevented her from seeing what exactly was happening behind the closed door. However putting her ear up to the glass, she could hear their conversation. It was old school, but it did the trick.

"_I'm sorry sir, I don't know what to say…"_

"_I want to know why some other guy is sleeping in my room with MY WIFE! That's my name on the bill, but my wife never told me that I was supposed to come!"_

Sydney heard a chair move and then feet start pacing around the small space. She braced for the possibility that David or Andrew would come running out of the room, but Andrew started ranting again.

"_I want to know who this guy is! How could you allow someone who's not on the bill to stay at your resort?"_

"_We have to assume those who check in with the proper papers are who they say they are, sir. We can't check everyone out. Your wife obviously had everything arranged as she should have, and we did not see anything wrong. I'm sorry this has happened, but there's nothing I can do."_

Backing away from the window, Sydney glanced at her watch noting how long she'd been gone. She had to leave now before Vaughn barged in unnecessarily. Peeking around the corner of the hallway, she spotted the door that lead to the lobby where they had first observed David and Andrew enter through. Soon she was back in the lobby where she found Vaughn sitting on a sofa looking quite nervous, but to a stranger he looked like a husband waiting on his wife, tired, holding onto her shoes. He stood up immediately once he saw her emerge and let out a deep breath.

"Thank goodness," he murmured. "What happened?"

"It seems that Mrs. Morgan is having an affair and she brought the other man here instead of Andrew. Only he found out and came to find the guy."

Vaughn visibly relaxed and nodded. "That's good. I mean that's unfortunate, but I'm glad nothing happened."

Sydney chuckled softly, conceding her similar feelings about the situation. Things could have ended up worse, but they hadn't and now she was pretty confident that the Covenant had no knowledge of their presence at the spa. Something would have occurred already if they had.

Glancing out towards the pool deck and the Luau, she wrapped her arm around his dragging him back outside. "At least this time we can still go back to the party."

Paul was on the stage again when they stepped out, this time sans hula dancers. He clutched the mic, and everyone quieted down. "Okay folks…it's getting late. So here's one final song to dance to. I know the ladies are tired, but you can last a few more minutes. Men, grab your ladies and show them how much you love them. Good night everyone. Enjoy the rest of your week."

_Many nights I sit here  
__With memories by the score  
__Thinking of the days I've spent  
__With the girl I still adore  
__So I'm going back to see her  
__Before all my days are done  
__Going back to see her  
__In the land of the sea and sun _

Sydney and Vaughn swayed to the music, his arms holding her close and her head lying on his shoulder. It was the perfect ending to their night, and Sydney couldn't be happier. As her hands came to rest on his hips, she felt something hard and grinned. Looking up, she asked, "Your gun, huh? What did you do? Run up the stairs?"

He shook his head and laughed. Leaning down, his lips crashed onto hers, effectively silencing her questions but she didn't mind. After all, the night was theirs, and they had nothing to worry about but themselves. And she didn't think that would be a problem.

* * *

They had just gotten into bed, and lay still for a few minutes when Vaughn heard a noise and sat up abruptly. Sydney looked at him curiously as his eyes searched out the dark for anything or anyone that could be the origin of the noise. 

"What is it?"

He glanced at her worried, but calmly replied, "Did you hear that? I thought I heard some beeping."

They both sat quietly, listening carefully when suddenly it started again. Vaughn pushed back the covers and stood up. Walking around their room, he tried to pinpoint the noise but it became softer as he walked away from the bed. Retracing his steps, he sat back down and went through his nightstand finding nothing while Sydney did the same with hers. They stared at each other, afraid they had missed something when Vaughn leaned down towards her belly and frowned.

"It's coming from you."

TBC

**Disclaimer: **_Red, Red Wine; Hot Hot Hot; He Mele No Lilo_, and _Land of the Sea and Sun_ do not belong to me.

_He Mele No Lilo_ performed by Mark Keali'i Ho'omalu and the Kamehameha School Children's Chorus, is from the soundtrack to "Lilo Stitch."

_Land of the Sea and Sun_ - Baha Men. (No, I'm not kidding! It's a very pretty, calming song.)


End file.
